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The Leonard Library
Wpdiffe College
Toronto
Shelf No>
Register NO..VS..8.1.1
..V. •-.
THE
ENTIRE WORKS
REV. CHARLES SIMEON, M.A
WITH COPIOUS INDEXES,
PREPARED BY THE REV.
THOMAS HARTWELL HORNE, B.D.
LONDON:
PKINTED BY KICIIAKD CLAY, BKEALJ-STKEE i -HILL.
HOR^E HOMILETICJE:
DISCOURSES
(PRINCIPALLY IN THE FORM OF SKELETONS)
NOW FIRST DIGESTED INTO ONE CONTINUED SERIES
AND FORMING A COMMENTARY
UPON EVERY BOOK OF
THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT;
TO WHICH IS ANNEXED,
AN IMPROVED EDITION OF A TRANSLATION OF
CLAUDE'S ESSAY ON THE COMPOSITION OF A SERMON.
IN TWENTY-ONE VOLUMES.
BY THE REV. CHARLES SIMEON, M.A.
SENIOR FELLOW OF KING'S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE.
^.r " -,*'•
VOL. XVII.
* ' /-^ ,--- r 1-, .-^ „
GALATIANS —EPHESIANS.
^^-^-^•^^i^r^'*'' '
LONDON:
HOLDSWORTH AND BALL,
AMEN CORNER, PATERNOSTER ROW.
MDCCC XXXIII.
i r. o
•u
9^
u J
CONTENTS TO VOL. XVII.
Discourse.
Text.
Subject.
Page.
2049.
2050.
2051.
GALATIANS
i. 4.
i. 8, 9.
i. 10.
The great Object of Christ's coming .
The Importance of the Doctrine of
Justification by Faith alone .
J\fen-pleasers reproved .....
1
6
16
2052.
2053.
2054.
2055.
i. 15, 16.
i. 23, 24.
ii. 5.
ii. 10.
Conversion, and its Effects ....
God glorified in his People ....
Christian and Unchristian Pertinacity
Rememberino the Poor
23
28
32
39
205G.
ii. 14 — KJ.
43
2057.
ii. 19
True Use of the Law . •
50
2058.
2059.
2060.
2061.
2062.
ii. 20.
iii. 1.
iii. 8, 9.
iii. 10.
iii 13
The Christian crucified with Christ .
Departing from the simple Gospel
The Gospel preached to Abraham
Spirituality and Sanctions of the Law
Redemption by Christ
54
61
64
70
73
2063.
iii 19
The Uses of the Law .
76
2064.
2065.
2066.
iii. 19.
iii. 19.
iii. 19.
The Spirituality of the Law . . .
The first Use of the Law ....
The Law, a Schoolmaster, to bring us
to Christ
88
101
112
2067.
iii. 19.
The third Use of the Law, as a Rule
of Life .
196
2068.
2069.
2070.
iii. 21—26.
iii. 27—29.
iv. 4, 5.
The true Use of the Law ....
Benefits and Obligations of Baptism .
The Time and Manner of Christ's
139
147
155
2071.
iv. 6
The Spirit of Adoption • .
162
2072.
2073.
iv. 11.
iv. 18.
Ministers labouring in vain
The Nature and Importance of Chris-
167
172
2074.
iv. 19, 20.
A Minister's chief Wish for his People
175
CONTENTS.
Discourse.
Text.
Subject
Page.
2075.
2076.
2077.
2078.
2079.
2080.
9081.
GALATIANS
iv. 22—24.
iv. 30.
v. 1.
v. 2—4.
v. 5.
v. 6.
V 11
Sarah and Hagar Types ....
Justification by Faith maintained .
Liberty of the Christian ....
Self-righteousness reproved ....
The Righteousness of Faith
The Office and Operation of Faith .
Offence of the Cross
180
184
192
J96
201
207
210
2082.
V 1 fi
Walking in the Spirit . . . *.
214
2083.
V. 17.
The Principles of Flesh and Spirit
considered
219
2084.
2085.
v. 18.
v. 19—24.
The Christian freed from the Law .
The Fruits of the Flesh and of the
Spirit contrasted
226
232
2086.
v 25
Walking in the Spirit
239
2087.
*>088.
vi. 2.
vi 3 5
Benevolence recommended ....
Against Self-deceit
243
246
2089.
2090.
vi. 7, 8.
vi 0
The Ground of God's final Decision .
254
257
2091.
vi 14
The Cross of Christ
259
i
2092.
EPHESIANS
i. 3—12.
Thanks to God for his Sovereign
265
2093.
2094.
2095.
i. 7, 8.
i. 13, 14.
i. 15—20.
The Wisdom of God in Redemption .
The Sealing of the Spirit ....
The Spirit's Influences as a Spirit of
272
275
277
2096.
2097.
2098.
i. 20—23.
ii. 3.
ii. 4 — 7.
Christ the Head of the Church . .
Original Sin stated, and improved
The Riches of Divine Grace dis-
283
287
294
2099.
ii. 8—10.
Salvation by Grace not hostile to good
Works
297
| 2100.
2101.
2102.
ii. 12, 13.
ii. 18.
ii. 19—22.
iii. 8.
The States of the Regenerate and the
Unregenerate contrasted ....
Access to God by the Priesthood . .
Exalted Privileges of true Christians
Richness and Fulness of the Gospel .
[Inserted under 1 Tim. i. 11. ]
i
302
307
312
316
CONTENTS.
Vll
Discourse.
Text.
Subject.
Page.
2103.
2104.
EPHESIANS
iii. 10.
iii. 14—19.
Angels made wiser by the Gospel
Prayer the Means of the richest
316
j
I
325
2105.
2106.
2107
iii. 18, 19.
iii. 20, 21.
iv. 1—3.
IV 4 (j
Excellency and Glory of the Gospel .
[Inserted under 1 Tim. i. 11.]
God 's Power to bless his People .
A consistent Walk enjoined
Christian Unity
328
329
332
338
2108.
2109.
2110.
2111.
2112.
iv. 7, 8.
iv. 11—16.
iv. 20, 21.
iv. 22—24.
iv. 30.
The Ascension of Christ ....
The Use of a stated Ministry . .
Education, and Walk of Christians .
The Old Man and the New . . .
Grievinct the Spirit
342
347
352
356
360
2113.
2114.
2115.
2116.
2117.
iv. 32.
v. 2.
v. 5—7.
v. 8.
v 9
Forgiveness of Sins
Christ's Love, a Pattern for ours.
Fatal Consequences of indulged Sin .
A consistent Walk enjoined
Practical Christianity .
367
371
375
378
383
2118.
9119
v. 14.
v 15 16
An Exhortation to careless Sinners .
389
392
2120.
v. 18—20.
The Believer filled with the Holy
Ghost
395
2121.
v. 21 — 33.
399
2122.
2123.
v. 25—27.
v. 30.
The perfecting of the Church is the
End of all that Christ has done for it
Union with Christ ....
405
409
2124.
2125.
2126.
v. 32.
vi. 10.
vi. 11.
Union between Christ and his People
The Christian's Strength ....
The Means of withstanding Satan's
Wiles
414
421
430
2127.
2128.
vi. 12, 13.
vi. 14.
To withstand the Power of Satan
The Christian's Girdle .
438
448
2129.
2130.
2131.
vi. 14.
vi. 14, 15.
vi. 16.
The Christian's Breast-plate .
The Christian's Greaves ....
'The Christian's SJtield
458
467
4*7fi
2132.
2133.
vi. 17.
vi. 17.
The Christian's Helmet
The Christian's Sword ....
487
4Qfi
2134.
vi. 18.
The Importance of Prayer ....
507
G A L A T I A N S.
MMXLIX.
THE GREAT OBJECT OF CHRIST'S COMING.
Gal. i. 4. Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver
us from this present evil world) according to the ivill of God
and our Father.
THESE words are a part of an introductory prayer,
with which St. Paul begins almost all his epistles.
The portion of it which I have selected for the subject
of our present contemplation, expresses a truth, which,
if stated in a didactic form, might have somewhat of
a forbidding aspect ; but, as incidentally mentioned,
in the midst of a prayer which conveyed to the Ga-
latian Church the strongest evidence of his regard
for their welfare, it comes recommended to us by all
the endearments of Christian love. One thing, in
particular, we cannot fail to notice ; namely, that the
sentiment contained in it was well known amongst
them, and universally approved. It needed nothing
to confirm it, nothing to enforce it. They were in
the habit of looking to the Saviour, as well as to God
the Father, for all the blessings of " grace and peace :"
and to the one, as well as to the other, of these
divine Persons, did they ascribe all " glory for ever
and ever." The nature of their obligations, too, both
to the one and to the other, they clearly understood.
They knew, that to " deliver them from this present
evil world," was the Father's object in sending to
them his Son, and the Son's object in dying for them.
VOL. XVII.
2 GALATIANS, I. 4. [2049.
The introduction therefore of this sentiment would
not offend them : on the contrary, it would meet
with their most cordial concurrence ; and would in
creasingly occupy their minds, whenever they were
engaged in the blessed work of supplication and
thanksgiving. Well therefore may the truths which
it will of necessity lead me to inculcate be received
by you, not as hard sayings, but as expressions of
love.
Consider, then, with me,
I. What is the great object aimed at in our redemp
tion by Christ-
Persons at all conversant with the Gospel would,
without hesitation, say, that Christ gave himself for
us, to deliver us from the guilt of our sins, and from
the condemnation due to them. But the complete
connexion which that subject has with our deliver
ance from the world would not so immediately occur
to the minds of all. That, therefore, it shall now be
my endeavour to point out.
Through the fall of our first parents, the world has
usurped, in the heart of man, the place which was
originally assigned to God —
[The world, as first constituted, and as subordinated to
God, was good : but, as rivalling God in the affections of men,
it, and every thing in it, is evil. To fallen man it is become
his one object of desire, his one source of pleasure, his one
ground of confidence. It occupies all his thoughts : it is his
pursuit, his portion, and his god. As for his Creator, he
flees from him, as Adam did in Paradise. He delights not
to contemplate him, to seek him, to serve him, to enjoy him.
Nay, if the inspired testimony be true, " God is not in all his
thoughts." The things of time and sense engross him utterly.
When he rises in the morning, when he passes through the
day, when he lies down to rest at night, the world, with its
cares, its pleasures, its vanities, binds him as with adamantine
chains, and keeps him from ever soaring to his God. He
loves his bonds indeed, and feels them not : but he is bound
notwithstanding ; and, whilst " walking according to the course
of this world, he is walking according to the dictates of the
prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in
all the children of disobedience a."]
a Eph. ii. 2.
2049.] THE GREAT OBJECT OF CHRIST'S COMING. 3
To deliver him from this state was the great end for
which our Lord and Saviour came into the world —
[He came to cast out every idol from our hearts, and to
bring us back to God. Not that he grudges us the enjoyment
of earthly things; for "he has given us all things richly to
enjoy b ;" but he cannot endure that God should have a rival
in our hearts. By contemplating man in Paradise, we may
form an idea what that state is to which the Lord Jesus
Christ seeks to restore us. Before sin had defiled the soul
of Adam, he had as rich an enjoyment of earthly things as a
creature could possess. But he enjoyed God in them : and
it was this which rendered them so sweet to his taste. God
was the first and last in all his thoughts. He " dressed, in
deed, and kept" the garden in which he was placed; but it
caused him no anxious care ; nor excited any idolatrous at
tachment in his mind ; nor alienated his soul from God, even
for a moment. It never unfitted him for communion with
God, or deadened the ardour of his affections towards God :
no ; he walked as before God, every day and all the day
long : he walked with God, as a man walketh with his friend.
Now, to bring us back to this, is the true end of redemption,
and the proper scope of all that God has ever done for our
souls.]
Let us now proceed to consider,
II. How great an object this is—
It is the one object aimed at both by the Father
and the Son—
[For this the Lord Jesus " Christ gave up himself." For
this he left the bosom of his Father : for this he vacated his
throne of glory : for this he assumed our nature : for this he
lived : for this he died : for this he rose again, and ascended
into heaven, and took upon him the government of the world.
This is the end he ever keeps in view, in the chastisements he
inflicts, and in the blessings he bestows. In all this, the
Father also concurred with him. The very proposal, so to
speak, originated with the Father; as the Son himself testifies:
" Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not : but a body hast
thou prepared me. In burnt- offerings and sacrifices for sin
thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come, (in the
volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O
Godc." The Father, as is here said, " prepared him a body,"
and sent him into the world ; and " gave him a commandment,
what he should say, and what he should dod." The Father
b 1 Tim. vi. 17. c Ps. xl. 6—8. with Heb. x. 5—7.
d John vi. 38. and xiv. 31.
« o
4 GALATIANS, T. 4. [2049.
upheld him also in the whole of his work6 ; and " raised him
up from the dead, and gave him glory f;" and committed all
things into his hands, that he might accomplish in man all the
purposes of his loveg.]
What an object, then, must this be !
[We are accustomed to judge of objects, in general, by
the efforts made to obtain them. And, if we take that crite
rion, what is there that can equal the great object before us?
That it should ever occupy for a moment the mind of the
Deity, is amazing : but that it should ever be so desirable in
Jehovah's mind, that he should give his only dear Son to
effect it ; and that his Son, also, should willingly endure all
the curses of the broken law to attain it ; yea, that the Holy
Spirit, too, should undertake, by his own almighty power, to
accomplish in us this good work ; that the Sacred Trinity, I
say, should all combine thus to effect it, exhibits such a view
of its importance as nothing can exceed. Yet, how little is
it viewed in this light ! How little do men, at that season of
the year when we commemorate the Saviour's Advent, recol
lect for what end he came ! If we were to judge by the con
duct of the generality amongst us, we should rather suppose
that the Saviour gave himself to deliver us to, and not to
deliver us from, this present evil world : precisely as the Jews
of old committed all manner of iniquity, and then said, " We
are delivered to do all these abominations11." You well know,
that, as by general consent, this is made a season of more than
usual conviviality; insomuch that dissipation is, if I may so
speak, the order of the day : and the man who has no greater
portion than usual of mirth and gaiety seems to himself to
have failed in the peculiar exercises of his mind, which the
season calls for. If one were to say, that such commemora
tions were an insult to the Deity ; that they obstructed the
very ends for which the Saviour came ; and were a direct act
of rebellion against God the Father, whose avowed will was
opposed ; one should be thought a gloomy enthusiast, and an
enemy to all social happiness. But so it is, whatever ungodly
men may think concerning it; and so it will be found at the
last day. God says, " Give ME thy heart ;" and that command
must be obeyed. We must withdraw it from all things that
stand in competition with him. The most lawful and honour
able attachments must be subordinated to him : we must " set
our affections altogether on things above, and not on things on
the earth1:" we must " have our conversation in heaven."
Our blessed Lord has shewn us, in this respect, how to walk ;
e Isai. xlii. 1. f 1 Pet. i. 21. ff Eph. iv. 10.
h Jer. vii. 9, 10. ' Col. iii. 2.
2049.] THE GREAT OBJECT OF CHRIST*S COMING. 5
and we " must follow his steps." In the world we are, and
must be : but of the world we must not be, either in our spirit
or our conduct. If we will be his followers indeed, we must
" not be of the world, even as he was not of the world k."]
In this subject we may clearly SEE,
1. How few experience the full benefits of Christ's
redemption !
[The light of Christianity has certainly raised the tone of
morals, where its precepts are heard : but a complete confor
mity to the Christian code is rarely seen. Where do we find
persons living according to the pattern of Christ and his
Apostles ? Where does the cross of Christ so operate, that
they who look to it regard the world as a crucified object, or as
a person that was himself crucified would regard it1 ? This is
a feeling utterly unknown, except amongst a few ; who, on
that very account, are despised and hated by the whole
world m. The truth is, that Christians in general differ very
little from either Jews or Heathens. Christianity occupies
their heads ; but heathenism their hearts. They pretend to
have faith : but, as for " the faith that overcomes the world,"
they know nothing about it". Their whole life, instead of
being occupied in a progressive transformation of the soul
after the Divine image, is one continued state of conformity
to the world0: and, instead of regarding "the friendship of
the world" as a decisive proof of their "enmity against God,"
they affect it, they seek it, they glory in itp. I appeal to all,
whether these observations be not true ; and whether those
who are " dead to the world" be not " as signs and wonders"
in our day ? Know, however, that they, and they only, are
right ; and that all the knowledge, or all the experience, that
leaves us short of this, is but learned ignorance, and specious
delusion. " The whole world lieth in wickedness :" and " they
who are of God" come out of it, even as Lot did out of
Sodom q. " If we love the world, the love of the Father is
not in us1."]
2. How blessed is the effect of real Christianity
upon the soul-
fit emancipates us from the sorest bondage ; and brings
us into a state of liberty and peace. The votaries of this
world, see with what cares they are harassed, with what dis-
k John xvii. 14 — 16. l Gal. vi. 14. m John xv. 19.
n 1 John v. 4, 5. ° Rom. xii. 2.
P Jam. iv. 4. See the amazing strength of the original (3ov\rjBfj
KaOiararai : the very inclination constitutes a man an enemy to God.
<i 1 John v. 19. r 1 John ii. 15, 16.
G GALATIANS, I. 8, 9. [2050.
appointments they are vexed ! See them in the full enjoyment
of their portion ; What have they ? what, but " vanity and
vexation of spirit?" But, on the other hand, behold the
Christian that is enabled to live above the world : his acquisi
tions cause no idolatrous feelings, like those which the rich
man expressed, when he said " Soul, take thine ease ; eat,
drink, and be merry s :" nor do his losses cast him down, or
cause him to cry out, "Ye have taken away my gods; and
what have I more*?" "He knows how to be full or to be
hungry," as God shall see fit : and " in whatsoever state he
be, to be therewith content"." His happiness is independent
of earthly things. " God himself is his portion, and his inheri
tance x :" and death, which is so formidable to a worldly man, is
to him an object of desire y, because it brings him to the full
fruition of all that he holds dear. In a word, in him is
fulfilled " the will of God the Father ;" and in him is accom
plished the purpose of Christ his Saviour55. Behold this man !
I ask not whether he be rich or poor, learned or unlearned,
infirm or strong ; but this I ask, Is there a person who does
not in his heart envy him ? I know, full well, that in words the
generality will reproach him, as a weak enthusiast: but who
would not wish, in a dying hour, to be found in his place ? A
superiority to the cares and pleasures of life, if accompanied
with a suitable deportment in other respects, carries such evi
dence along with it, as men know not how to reject. They
may be ignorant of the principle from whence such conduct
flows ; but the conduct itself commends itself to their con
sciences, with a force which they cannot resist. All in their
hearts congratulate the consistent saint ; and though they will
not say, " Let me live his life," they will say, " Let me die
his death, and let my latter end be like his."]
s Luke xii. 19. * Judg. xviii. 24. u Phil. iv. 11, 12.
x Ps. xvi. 5. y Phil. i. 23. z The text.
MML.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION BY
FAITH ALONE.
Gal. i. 8, 9. Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any
other Gospel unto you than that ivhich we have preached unto
you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now
again, If any man preach any other Gospel unto you, than
that ye have received, let him be accursed.
TO exercise candour and forbearance towards those
who differ from us, is the duty of all : yet there are
2050.] OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH ALONE. 7
bounds beyond which candour becomes indifference,
and forbearance treason. In things which are non-
essential, and only of secondary importance, we
should on no account be rigid : we should form our
own opinions, and leave others to follow their own
judgment : yea, rather than grieve them by an un
necessary adherence to our own ways, we should
conform to theirs, or at least forbear to prosecute
our own. This v/as the conduct of the Apostle Paul.
He " bore with the infirmities of his weak brethren3:"
he circumcised Timothy, in order that he might gain
an easier access to them for their goodb. " He
became all things to all men," that he might win
their souls c : and rather than prove a stumbling-
block to any, by using that liberty to which he was
introduced by the Gospel, he would decline the use
of meat to the latest hour of his lifed. But was this
his practice when he came to things essential ? Did
he express no concern when he saw the whole city
of Athens given to idolatry ? Yes ; " his spirit was
stirred within him," and he testified boldly against
their ignorant superstitions6. When he perceived
that some of the Corinthians were lax in their senti
ments and conduct, he told them plainly, that " if
any man defiled the temple of God, him would God
destroy f." Thus, in the passage before us, he, who
on other occasions " was gentle among them, even
like a nursing mother cherishing her children g," was
filled with indignation against those who perverted
the " Gospel of Christ," and denounced against every
one of them, even though he were an angel from
heaven, the most awful anathemas : yea, that they
might know the fixedness of his mind respecting it,
he renewed his declarations, and repeated his ana
themas.
Let us then inquire,
I. What was the Gospel which Paul preached—
a Rom. xiv. 1. and xv. 1. b Acts xvi. 3.
c 1 Cor. ix. 19 — 22. d 1 Cor. viii. 13. e Acts xvii. 16,22.
f 1 Cor. iii. 17. s 1 Thess. ii. 7.
8 GALATIANS, I. 8, 9. [2050.
On this point the utmost caution is necessary. The
Apostle pronounces every one accursed that preaches
any other Gospel different from that which he had
preached to the Galatians. A mistake therefore in
this matter will be absolutely fatal to us.
Observe then, that the great doctrine which he
insisted on, was justification by faith alone without the
works of the law. This, I say, was the point which
he maintained, in contradistinction to justification
by works, or by faith and works together : and this,
namely, justification by faith without works, was the
Gospel which he preached.
Respecting this we can have no doubt, if we con
sider,
1. The statements which he makes —
[Here let us notice his train of argument, especially in
that part of the epistle which accords with a similar statement
in the Epistle to the Romans. He observes, that Abraham
was justified by faith; and that we become partakers of his
benefits by faith alsoh: that the law, instead of justifying,
curses and condemns us1: that the prophets asserted justifi
cation by faith, in direct opposition to justification by the
works of the lawk: and that Christ redeemed us from the
curse of the law, not that we might afterwards be justified by
the law, but that we might enjoy his blessings through faith1.
The Apostle then goes on to illustrate and confirm this by
the covenant which was made with Abraham. In this cove
nant God gave to Abraham, and to his believing posterity,
the inheritance of eternal life. Four hundred and thirty
years after, he gave the law to Moses, and made another cove
nant with the Jews respecting their possession of the earthly
Canaan. This latter covenant therefore, you perceive, was
made between different parties; the former being between
God and Abraham, (including all the believing seed of Abra
ham, whether they were circumcised or not,) and the other,
between God and the Jewish nation only : consequently, as a
man's covenant cannot be annulled unless both parties consent,
so the covenant which God made with the Jews cannot super
sede that which he had so long before made with Abraham
and his believing seed ; because the latter party were not pre
sent at the making of it, nor had they ever consented to annul
h Gal. iii. 6—9. * Gal. iii. 10.
k Gal. iii. 11, li>. » Gal. iii. 13, 14.
2050.] °F JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH ALONE. 9
the covenant which had been made with them™. If it be
asked, Why then was the law given ? We answer, Not to
supersede the covenant which had been " before confirmed of
God in Christ," but to shew men their need of that better
covenant", and to serve " as a school-master to bring them
unto Christ, that they might be justified by faith0. "
Now compare this with the whole train of argument in the
five first chapters to the Romans, and the coincidence will
establish the point at once. The Apostle there shews our con
demnation by the law, and the consequent impossibility of
ever being justified by it: from thence he shews the necessity
of seeking justification by faith in Christ p ; more especially
because that way of justification, and that alone, would ex
clude boasting q. He then proceeds to establish his point by
the examples of Abraham1" and David5, both of whom sought
justification by faith only : and he argues from thence, that
if works compose any part of our justifying righteousness,
" our reward will not be of grace, but of debt ;" and heaven
will be, not a gift bestowed, but a compensation that we have
earned: and consequently, that we must "not work" in order
to obtain righteousness, but " believe on him whojustifieth the
ungodly i :" (Mark well, not the godly, but the ungodly.) If it
be said, that another Apostle represents Abraham as justified
by his works u, St. Paul proves to demonstration, that St. James
cannot speak of Abraham's justification before God, but only
of the justification, or manifestation, of his faith, as true, and
genuine ; for that Abraham " was justified while yet he was in
uncircumcisionx;" which was not only before he offered Isaac
upon the altar, but long before Isaac was borny.
It is needless to prosecute any further the Apostle's state
ment: it will be sufficient just to mention his conclusion from
it, which is; " THEREFORE being justified by faith, we have
peace with God2."]
2. The objections he anticipates —
[In all his writings St. Paul is careful to obviate the ob
jections which he foresees will be urged against the truths that
he inculcates. The objections which he supposes an ignorant
person will make, are two : first, That if, where sin has
abounded, grace much more abounds, we may " continue in
m Gal. iii. 15 — 18. n Gal. iii. 19. ° Gal. iii. 24.
P Rom. iii. 19—22. 1 Rom. iii. 27, 28. (Mark ver. 28.)
r Rom. iv. 1 — 3. s Rom. iv. 6 — 8.
1 Rom. iv. 4, 5. Mark these verses, and weigh every word in
them.
u Jam. ii. 21. x Jam. iv. 9 — 11.
y Gen. xvii. 19, 23, 24. with Gen. xxii. 1 — 13. z Rom. v. 1.
10 GALATIANS, I. 8, 9. [2050.
sin that grace may abound*:" for the greater sinners we are
before we are justified, the more will the grace of God be
magnified in justifying such ungodly creatures: and, if a per
son be justified without any respect to his works, then, secondly,
we may live in sin after we are justified; because we are not
under the law which requires good works, but under a dispen
sation of grace b, wherein life is given freely without any regard
to our works, past, present, or future.
Time will not admit of our considering how he answers
these objections : (suffice it to say, that he shews they have no
solid foundation ; and that good works are effectually secured,
though they be not taken into the account in our justification :)
we mention the objections only, to shew what the doctrine
must be that gave rise to them. Suppose the Apostle had
said, that we were to be justified by our works alone, or by
faith and works united, what room could there have been for
such objections as these ? If works were taken into conside
ration in the matter of our justification before God, we could
have no temptation whatever on that account, to neglect them,
either before or after we were justified. But if we are justi
fied by faith without any respect to our works, then we can
see at once, how a person, not understanding the whole of the
Christian scheme, might conceive that the doctrine tended to
licentiousness. Indeed these are the very objections that are
yet daily urged by ignorant people against the Apostle's doc
trine : they cry, ' You need only believe, and you may live
as you will : and the more wicked you are, the more will the
free grace of God be glorified in saving you.' Persons never
think of urging these objections against those who preach
salvation by works, whether in the whole or in part ; which is
a sure proof, that the Apostle did not preach that doctrine ;
but that the doctrine which he delivered was that of salvation
by faith without the works of the law. In this view of his
doctrine there is some apparent ground for the objection : in
any other view of it, there is none at allJ\
3. The perversions he complains of —
[What was it he complained of in the conduct of the
Galatians ? It was this : that they added the observance of
the Mosaic ritual to the duties enjoined by the Gospel6, hoping
thereby to render themselves more acceptable to God. And
in what manner does he complain of this ? He calls it an
introducing of " another Gospel, which yet was not another d"
(for it was a mongrel religion, neither law nor Gospel); or, in
3 Rom. v. 20. and vi. 1. b Rom. vi. 15.
c Gal. iv. 9, 10. d Gal. i. 6, 7.
2050. J OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH ALONE. 11
other words, a " perversion or rejection of the true Gospel6."
Now what ground had he for such heavy accusations, if he
himself preached salvation (whether in whole or in part) by
the works of the law ? On this supposition, the more works
they did, the more certain they would be to obtain justifica
tion : supposing the Mosaic ritual to be abrogated, there still
was no harm in " observing days, and months, and years ;" and
all that he could properly say to them on the occasion, was,
" That they were giving themselves needless trouble :" he must
have commended them for their zeal in doing these works ;
and only told them, that now there was no occasion for these
observances. But if he preached justification by faith without
the works of the law, and saw that they were performing these
works in order to secure their justification, then he might well
say, " I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you
labour in vainf."
Again — We read of heavy complaints against Peter. What
had Peter done ? He had conversed familiarly with the
Gentile converts, and lived for a season, as they did, without
any regard to the Mosaic ritual. But when some Judaizing
converts came from Jerusalem, he was afraid of offending their
prejudices; and therefore he forsook the Gentile converts, and
lived with the others in the observance of all the Jewish rites
and ceremonies g. By this conduct, he not only sanctioned the
erroneous idea that the Mosaic rites were still obligatory on
the Jewish Christians, but that it was necessary even for the
Gentile Christians to conform to them. Now this, in any view
of St. Paul's doctrine, was highly blameworthy ; because it was
imposing a needless yoke upon the neck of the Gentiles. But
this was all : and supposing that Paul had preached justification
by works, this was all that he could properly lay to the charge
of Peter. But supposing, as we have shewn, that the Gospel
which Paul preached held forth justification by faith alone,
then there was abundant reason for rebuking Peter in the
presence of the whole Church, and accusing him of subverting
the foundations of the Gospel h, and declaring that, so far as
he prevailed, he " frustrated the grace of God," and made "the
death of Christ to be in vain1."]
We are convinced that, if this accumulated evi
dence be duly weighed, no doubt can remain upon our
minds respecting the doctrine which Paul preached,
and which he calls in our text " The Gospel." Let
us then inquire,
e Gal. i. 6, 7. with iii. 1. f Gal. iv. 11. s Gal. ii. 11 — 13.
h Gal. ii. 14—16. * Gal. ii. 21.
12 GALATIANS, 1. 8, 9. [2050.
II. Why he manifested such zeal in maintaining it-
No man had less of bigotry than the Apostle Paul :
for, though a Jew, he spent his life in vindicating the
liberty of the Gentiles, and, in fact, died a martyr to
their cause k. Nor was he actuated by resentment ;
for, when most blaming the Galatians, he says, " Ye
have not injured me at all1." Nor was he impelled
by ambition, as though he would preserve an un
rivalled ascendency over the Galatian Church ; for
he considered himself as " not having dominion over
their faith, but merely as a helper of their joym," His
view was to maintain,
1. The purity of the Gospel —
[The Gospel is a fountain of life to a ruined world : nor
is there a cistern in the universe that can afford waters so
salubrious. It is there alone that Christ is revealed: and " there
is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby
we can be saved n." Now a perverting of this fundamental
doctrine of justification by faith alone, is a poisoning of that
fountain ; and consequently a destroying of the whole human
race, as well those to whom its waters flow, as those who dwell
in the parched desert. Suppose any man were found so in
human, as without any cause to poison the spring whereby a
populous city were sustained, and from whence alone they
could draw what was necessary for their sustenance ; would
not every living creature execrate him ? Yet that man would
be innocent in comparison of him who diffuses the deadly
doctrines of a mutilated Gospel : for the former destroys only
the bodies of men; whereas the latter consigns over their souls
to everlasting destruction. No wonder then that the Apostle
expressed himself with such vehemence ! no wonder that he
pronounced every person, whether it were himself, or an angel
from heaven, " accursed," who should dare to " adulterate
the sincere milk of the Word0!" It was on this ground that
he resisted with invincible firmness the attempts that were
made to get Titus circumcised p; and it was with the same view
that he opposed so strenuously all the efforts of Judaizing
teachers, even though they were sanctioned by the examples
of Barnabas or Peter himself.]
2. The importance of the Gospel—
k Acts xxi. 28—31. ! Gal. iv. 12. m 2 Cor. i. 24.
n Acts iv. 12. ° 2 Cor. ii. 17. and iv. 2.
i1 Gal. ii. 3.
2050. J OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH ALONE. 13
[Many who would shudder at the idea of infidelity, are
ready to consider the doctrine of justification by faith alone,
either as erroneous, or at best as speculative, doubtful, and
indifferent. They will not unfrequently say, ' Take care to
do good works, and you need not trouble yourself about these
nice questions.' Now I readily grant that there are nice
questions relative to predestination and election, and some
other points, which may, or may not, be received consistently
with our " holding the Head," the Lord Jesus Christ : but
this is not the case with the doctrine before us. Justification
by faith alone, is the hinge upon which the whole of Chris
tianity turns. If that be practically received into the heart, it
will save a man, though be be mistaken in many other points:
but a mistake relative to that will be fatal to him, though he
should hold every other truth in the Bible. Hear how St.
Paul speaks in a passage before referred to ; " If righteousness
come by the law, then CHRIST is DEAD IN VAIN^ ;" that is, It
was in vain that Christ came down from heaven : all that
he did or suffered was in vain, " if righteousness (whether in
whole or in part) come by the law ;" for " all that are under
the law are under the curse r." Again, with peculiar firmness
and solemnity he says, " Behold, I, Paul, say unto you, that
if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing8." What!
was there any sin in circumcision ? Why then did Paul
circumcise Timothy? No: the act was as innocent as any
act could be : but the sin lay, in complying with that ordi
nance with a view to further their justification before God :
and then, it not only did not improve the prospects of the
person that submitted to it, but made " Christ himself of no
profit to him whatsoever." Once more he says, " Christ is
become of no effect unto you; whosoever of you is justified by
the law, ye are fallen from grace1;" that is, Ye have utterly
renounced the grace of the Gospel, and ye can no more be
saved, than the devils themselves ; for CHRIST is BECOME OF
NO EFFECT UNTO YOU. In the Epistle to the Romans he con
firms these things, not merely, as in the fore-cited passages, by
strong assertions, but by matter of fact: for he declares that
the Jews were left to perish, notwithstanding all their en
deavours to obtain righteousness by the law ; and that the Gen
tiles, who had paid no attention whatever to righteousness of any
kind, were saved : and that the reason of the one being saved,
while the others perished, was, that the one embraced the
doctrine of justification by faith only, while the others were
too proud to submit to itu. Let these matters be considered ;
and then let any one say, whether there was not good reason
<i Gal. ii. 21. r Gal. iii. 10. compared with Gal. v. 3.
s Gal. v. 2. t Gal. v. 4. u Rom. ix. 30—33. and x. 3, 4.
14 GALATIANS, I. 8, 9. [2050.
for the Apostle's anathemas, which under any other circum
stances might have been justly counted harsh and severe. He
felt the importance of the doctrine ; and he wished all others
to feel it : and therefore he did not hesitate to imprecate curses
even on an angel from heaven, if any one could be found
blind and impious enough to set it aside.]
3. The sufficiency of the Gospel—
[We are far from imputing any evil intention to those
who object to the doctrine we are maintaining. " They have
a zeal for God; but not according to knowledgex." They
have fears and apprehensions that the Gospel which has been
set forth, is insufficient either to justify, or to sanctify, the
soul : and on this account they add good works to faith in
order to their justification ; conceiving, that the righteousness
of Christ cannot be the less effectual for the addition of ours
to it ; and that the idea of being justified in part by our good
works must be an irresistible inducement to the performance
of them : whereas the exalting of faith as the only mean of
salvation, must, they suppose, relax men's diligence in good
works. But let us not presume to prop up the ark, or to
change the plans which Infinite Wisdom has devised for the
salvation of man. " The robe of Christ's righteousness " is
quite sufficient " to cover our nakednessy," without adding to
it " the filthy rags of our righteousness z." And there are
grounds enough for abounding in good works without putting
them into the place of Christ, and making a Saviour of them.
The Scripture is plain ; "All that believe are justified from all
things3:" and it is equally plain, that " faith will work by
loveb," and " overcome the world c," and " purify the heart d."
Had the Gospel needed any addition in either of these
respects, St. Paul would not have been so adverse to the
attempts to improve it: but, as it needed nothing of this kind,
he could not endure that we should presume to be wiser than
God : " Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty, instruct
him? He that reproveth God, let him answer ite."]
Our IMPROVEMENT of this subject must be short : but
we cannot conclude it without briefly noticing its
importance,
1. To those who minister —
[It is not within the compass of language to suggest
words that could more deserve the attention of ministers, than
x Rom. x. 2. y Rev. iii. 18. z Isai. Ixiv. 6.
a Acts xiii. 39. b Gal. v. 6. c 1 John v. 4.
d Acts xv. 9. e Job xl. 2.
2050.] OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH ALONE. 15
those of our text. Many things doubtless are requisite for a
due discharge of the ministry : but there is one that as far
surpasses all others, as the sun exceeds a taper. It is this;
an acquaintance with this fundamental doctrine of Scripture,
the doctrine of justification by faith alone. If a man be not
instructed in it, how can he instruct others? and if he be not
instructing them in this, what is he doing, but bringing down
curses upon his own soul, and leading his people also to
destruction ? Would to God, that those who look forward to
the ministry as a source of worldly honour or emolument,
would seriously reflect upon this tremendous passage, and
consider, whether it be worth their while to involve themselves
in such accumulated misery ! Would to God that those also
who are in the ministry, would consider what they have under
taken to preach, and what is uniformly inculcated in the
articles, the homilies, and the liturgy of our Church ! But
whether men will consider for themselves or not, we must say,
" a necessity is laid upon them, and woe be unto them if they
preach not the Gospel f."]
2. To those who are ministered unto —
[If there be such a necessity laid on ministers to preach
" the truth as it is in Jesus," there must be the same necessity
for you to hear and embrace it. Inquire then, what is the
Gospel that ye have received ? Is it this, or is it " another
Gospel ? " Are your views of the Gospel such as would fur
nish occasion for an ignorant person to raise objections against
it as tending to licentiousness? Yet do you, at the same
time, manifest by your life and conversation, that it is " a
doctrine according to godliness ? " Inquire into these things ;
for "they are your lifeg." If your views of Divine truth do
not answer to this description, they are not such as the Apostle
Paul had, nor will they lead you where he is. If, instead of
looking for salvation by faith alone, you are mixing your own
merits with those of Christ, you must inevitably perish : Christ
shall profit you nothing. You may build hay, and wood, and
stubble, upon the true foundation, and yet be saved at last :
you will suffer loss indeed ; yet you will be saved, though it be
as persons snatched out of the fireh. But if you build on any
thing besides Christ, you have a foundation of sand, which will
fail you in the hour of trial, to the destruction of your whole
fabric, and the ruin of your own souls1. The mixtures of your
righteousness with Christ's, like the feet of iron and clay in
Nebuchadnezzar's image, will never bear the super-incumbent
weight : they cannot unite ; they cannot adhere ; if you
f 1 Cor. ix. 16. g Deut. xxxii. 47.
h 1 Cor. iii. 12, 15. * Matt. vii. 26, 27-
10 GALATIANS, I. 10. [2051.
attempt to stand upon them, you will fall and be broken in
pieces k. There is but "one faith1,'' but one foundation:
" other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is
Jesus Christ111." Take heed therefore that you build upon it";
and let your superstructure be such as shall be approved in
the day when it shall be tried by fire0.]
k Dan. ii. 33, 34. J Eph. iv. 5. m 1 Cor. iii. 11.
11 1 Cor. iii. 10. ° 1 Cor. iii. 13, 14.
MMLI.
MEN-PLEASERS REPROVED.
Gal. i. 10. Do I seek to please men ? For if I yet pleased
men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
IN the Churches of Galatia, great efforts were
made, by Judaizing teachers, to " pervert the Gospel
of Christ/' and to establish in its place a doctrine
more congenial with Jewish prejudices and Jewish
habits. St. Paul set himself vigorously to withstand
their influence, and to maintain the Gospel in all its
purity. For this end, he declared, in this epistle, his
full authority from God to require from all of them
a submission to the doctrines which he preached ; and
he denounced a curse on any creature, whether man
or angel, who should attempt to introduce any other
Gospel. In prosecution of his argument, he appeals
to the Galatians themselves, whether he was, or could
be, actuated by any unworthy desire of pleasing men :
" Do I now persuade men, or God ? or do I seek to
please men ?" In explanation of these words, some
would supply an ellipsis here, as though he had said,
" Do I persuade (preach) the things of men, or of
Goda?" Others would translate it, "Do I solicit the
favour of men or of Godb ?" But neither of these in
terpretations can I altogether approve. The former
is that which our translators seem to have acquiesced
in ; though, rather than express it, they have left the
a " Dei appellatione ru rov Qeov intelligit : et Treidtiv idem decla-
rat atque TO KrjpvTTetr." Beza in loc.
b Doddridge on the place.
205 l.J MEN-PLEASERS REPROVED. 17
passage altogether unintelligible. But if the word
which we render "persuade" were translated " obey"
(as it is translated in other parts of this very epistle0),
I conceive that the sense would be more clear. Let
it be remembered, that the Apostle, previously to his
conversion, had sought to PLEASE men, and, under
their authority, had opposed to the uttermost the
cause of Christ d. Now he laboured, with no less
zeal, to maintain that cause ; and denounced a curse,
even against an angel from heaven, if one should be
found presumptuous enough to oppose it. But was
he now actuated by the same motives as he was
before ? Did he now act under the authority of men,
or seek to please men ? Was he not rather acting
in obedience to God? It was clear that he was not
pleasing men, nor could possibly have any such
object in view ; because men's wishes were in direct
opposition to God's commands, and to the ministra
tions which he felt it his duty to maintain : and if
he would please and obey man, he could not be the
servant of Christ.
That this is the real meaning of the passage ap
pears, both from the terms which are used, and from
the relation which the different parts of this verse
bear to each other. The Apostle says, " Do I now
obey man6?" I did formerly; but I do not 'wow:
" for if I yet1 pleased man, I could not be the servant
of Christ." Here, you will perceive, the two services
are opposed to each other, and declared to be incon
sistent with each otherg. And this not only makes
the sense clear, but cuts off all occasion for supplying
an ellipsis, in a way which one would not wish, and
which, in my opinion, can scarcely be justified. As
to the text itself, that, in its import at least, is per
fectly intelligible : and, in opening it, I shall,
I. Confirm the Apostle's assertion —
We shall have no doubt of its truth, if we consider
the grounds on which it stands :
c Gal. iii. 1. and v. 7. d Acts ix. 1, 2.
e apri, at this present time. f trt.
£ arOpwirovQ Treidw is put in opposition to XptaroD tf
VOL. XVII.
18 GALATIANS, I. 10. [2051.
1. The things which men, and the Lord Jesus Christ,
require, are directly contrary to each other—
[Men have their maxims and habits, to which they wish
all others to be conformed. Our blessed Lord, on the con
trary, says, " Be not conformed to this world ; but be ye
transformed by the renewing of your minds, that ye may know
what is that good, an4 acceptable, and perfect will of GodV
But this is not all : he commands us, not only to " have no fel
lowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but also rather to
reprove them1." Now, the separation alone is, of itself, suf-
ficently displeasing to the world, because it forms a tacit
reprehension of their ways : but, when to this is added a testi
mony borne against their ways as evil, they are irritated and
incensed; and, in self-defence, they brand their opponents with
every term of ignominy and reproach. Our blessed Lord
found it so with respect to himself: " The world cannot hate
you," said he to his unbelieving brethren ; " but me it hateth,
because I testify of it that the works thereof are evilk." And
he has taught us to expect the same treatment on precisely the
same ground : " If ye were of the world, the world would
love his OWTII ; but because ye are not of the world, but I
have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth
you'."]
2. There is no possibility of reconciling them —
[Our blessed Lord has placed this beyond a doubt: " No
man can serve two masters : for either he will hate the one,
and love the other ; or else he will hold to the one, and despise
the other. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon m." This is
the very foundation of that separation from the world, which
is the bounden duty of every one that calls himself " a servant
of Christ." " What fellowship hath righteousness with un
righteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
and what concord hath Christ with Belial ? or what part hath
he that believeth with an infidel?" " Wherefore come out
from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord11." In
truth, this is nothing but what must commend itself to every
considerate mind. St. Paul appealed respecting it to the
whole Church of Rome, and, in fact, to the whole world :
" Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to
obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey0?" It may be
said, perhaps, that the services of God and Mammon are not
so irreconcileable as we represent them ; since our Lord him
self has shewn us that they may be reconciled. In one place
h Rom. xii. 2. » Eph. v. 11. k John vii. 7.
1 John xv. 19. m Matt, vi. 24. n 2 Cor. vi. 14 — 17.
0 Rom, vi. 16.
2051.1 MEN-PLEASERS REPROVED. 19
he says, " He that is not with me, is against me ; and he that
gathereth not with me, scattereth abroad p:" and in another place
he says, " He that is not against us, is for us q :" and therefore
he may, in this latter passage, be said to have modified and
tempered the severer language of the former. But there is
no real opposition between the two passages : for if the occa
sions on which they were spoken be duly marked, it will be
found that the former passage forbids neutrality in our own
conduct; the latter forbids un charitableness in judging of the
conduct of others. Strong as are the declarations of our Lord
and of St. Paul, which have been before cited, they fall far short
of that which is spoken by St. James. From them we see that
neutrality is treason, in reference to God, just as it would be
in an earthly kingdom, where a subject would not move to
repel an invading enemy. But St. James declares, that even
a wish to preserve friendship with the world is nothing less
than a direct act of rebellion against God. " Ye adulterers
and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world
is enmity with God ? Whosoever, therefore, will be (wishes to
be) the friend of the world, is (is thereby constituted) the enemy
of Godr."
On these grounds I conceive that the Apostle's assertion
admits not of the smallest doubt ; but is plain, direct, and
incontrovertible.]
Let me now, then,
II. Shew the bearing it should have on our life and
conversation-
It is of great importance for us to remember, that
broad and unqualified assertions may easily be per
verted, to the establishment of principles which, in
reality, are false ; and to the encouragement of con
duct which is essentially unbecoming. It is the part
of sound wisdom to make those discriminations,
which will serve to guide an humble and conscien
tious Christian to an adjustment of contending claims,
and to a discernment of the path of duty in difficult
and conflicting circumstances. With a view to this,
I will point out,
1. Negatively, what effect this assertion should
not produce —
[It should not render us indifferent to the opinions or
feelings of those around us. Indifference to the feelings of
P Matt. xii. 30. 1 Luke ix. 50. r Jam. iv. 4. the Greek.
9.0 GALATIANS, I. 10. [2051.
others is highly criminal : it argues a want of love ; without
which divine principle, whatever a man may have, he is no
better than " sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal8." Those
around us have immortal souls, for which we ought to be
tenderly concerned : and, as they must of necessity be more
or less affected by our conduct, and have their estimate of our
principles influenced by the fruits which they produce, it be
comes us, for their sakes, to avoid casting any stumbling-block
before them, or giving them any unnecessary offence. We
should, as far as possible, " prevent even our good from being
evil spoken of*." Nay further ; we should endeavour to "please
men," yea, to " please all men." " Let every one of us please
his neighbour for his good to edification : for even Christ
pleased not himselfu." Nay, I go further still, and say, that
we ought to be ready to make considerable sacrifices for this
very end : for St. Paul, speaking on this very subject, says,
" Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles,
nor to the Church of God : even as I please all men in all
things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many,
that they may be saved x." Now, this is a point on which
religious people, and young people especially, need to be put
upon their guard. There is a self-will, and self-pleasing , in
religious matters, as well as in things unconnected with
religion : and there is a disposition to magnify the importance
of matters that are indifferent, and to urge the claims of con
science for things which are really dictated only by inclination,
and an undue pertinacity in these things frequently proves a
greater stumbling-block to our friends and relatives, than a
firm adherence to any positive duty would do. Still, how
ever, I must guard this on the other hand ; and say, that, in
any concessions which we may make, we must look well to our
motives, which none but God can see. We must not comply
with the wishes or solicitations of men, merely to please them,
or to avoid exciting their dipleasure : we must do it simply
" for their good to edification." This was the Apostle's
motive, in all his compliances : " Though I be free from all
men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might
gain the more : unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might
gain the Jews ; to them that are under the law, as under the
law, that I might gain them that are under the law ; to them
that are without law, as without law, (being not without law
to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them
that are without law : to the weak, became I as weak, that I
might gain the weak : I am made all things to all men, that I
might by all means save some. And this I do (not for my own
s 1 Cor. xiii. 1. * Rom. xiv. 16. u Rom. xv. 2, 3.
x 1 Cor. x. 32, 33.
205 l.J MEN-PLEASERS REPROVED. 21
sake, but) for the Gospel's sake, that I might be partaker
thereof with youy." Let this distinction be kept in view, and
this principle be in operation, and we shall not materially err,
either by pertinacity on the one hand, or by compliance on
the other.
It may be said, that this mode of proceeding will make a
Christian's conduct extremely difficult and unnecessarily dan
gerous ; and that it will be better to adhere to the broad line
altogether, and to wave all consideration except for the good
of our own souls. But to this I can by no means accede. P
agree that this would be far easier, and in some respects safer:
but I cannot therefore say that it is better. It may be right
to incur both difficulty and danger for the good of others ;
though it would not be right to incur them merely for their
gratification. It would be right to expose our own lives to a
tempest in a small boat for the sake of saving a shipwrecked
crew, when it would be highly criminal to do so for the
amusement of those on shore : and, if we do subject ourselves
both to difficulty and a measure of danger for the everlasting
salvation of others, we may expect the Divine protection and
blessing in our endeavours. Let us but serve our God ac
cording to his directions, and we need not fear but that " he
will give his angels charge over us, to keep us in all our
ways."]
2. Positively, what effect this assertion should
produce-
fit must lead us to adopt a decided part, and never to
swerve from the path of duty, even if the whole world should
be against us. The conduct of the Apostles should be ours,
whenever such an alternative is presented to us : " Whether
it be right to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge
ye ;" for we cannot but do the things which our God requires2.
We must be very careful to examine what the path of duty is ;
but, having ascertained it, we must not turn from it to the
right hand or to the left, on any account whatever. We must
not deviate from the path of duty, in a way either of commis
sion or of omission. Suppose it said to us, as to the Hebrew
Youths, ' Bow down to this idol, or thou shalt go into the fiery
furnace;' we should not hesitate to choose the fire in pre
ference to the sin. Or if it were said, as to Daniel, * Forbear
to pray to thy God, or thou shalt be cast into the den of
lions8;' we should not hesitate to prefer the den of lions, to an
abandonment of an acknowledged duty: nay, we should not
even appear to concede the point; but should serve God
openly, and at all events h. As for as our Lord and the world
>' 1 Cor. ix. 19— :>;3. * Acts iv. 19, 20. « Dan. iii. h Dan. vi.
22 GALATIANS, I. 10. [2051.
go together, we should follow the world: but where they
separate, we should let all men see " whose we are, and whom
we serve."]
Now, in this subject we may SEE,
1. Matter for serious inquiry —
[" Do I yet please men?" This has been the habit of us
all in former times: for the unconverted man has no higher
principle of action than this. But, if we have been truly
converted unto God, we have given ourselves up to another
Master, even Christ ; and to serve and please him is our chief,
our only, aim. We must have no will, no way, but his. For
him must we both live and die.
Well do I know, that our change, in this respect, is often
imputed to us for evil ; and that we are deemed weak, con
ceited, and fanatical, because we presume to judge for ourselves
in this particular. But where eternity is at stake, how can we
do otherwise? We must approve ourselves to God, and to
our own conscience. In no other way can we have peace : in
no other way can we ever attain to glory.
And I cannot but say, that in what the world demand at
our hands, they are very unreasonable. For they will not
mete to us what they expect us to measure to them. They
will not be persuaded by us to do the smallest thing for God,
and for their own souls. If, to please us, they read a book
which we put into their hands, or attend upon a ministry
which we have recommended, they think they make mighty
concessions ; though, in the daily habit of their minds, they
are as much addicted to the world as others : but there are
no bounds to the concessions which they require of us : nor
are they ever satisfied, till they have drawn us into the same
vortex with themselves. I must therefore recommend extreme
caution in carrying into effect the very advice which I myself
have given. For though to please all men is a legitimate and
becoming object of pursuit, if you have attained it you will
have great reason to suspect yourselves : for you will have
attained what neither our Lord nor his Apostles ever did, or
ever could. If " all men speak well of you," you may be per
fectly assured that you have been unfaithful to your God, and
that nothing but a woe attends you c.]
2. Matter for unceasing consolation —
[It is extremely painful to have our friends and relations
displeased wk-> as, as they assuredly will be, if we give up
ourselves unreservedly to the Lord. Our blessed Lord has
told us, that, though this was not the end of his coming, it is,
c Luke vi. 26.
2052.] CONVERSION, AND ITS EFFECTS. 23
and will be, the effect : " I am come," says he, " to set a man
at variance against his father, and the daughter against the
mother, and the daughter-in-law against the mother-in-law:
and a man's foes shall be those of his own household d." But
then we should ask ourselves, " Have I, like Enoch, this tes
timony, that I have pleased Gode?" If I have, I am satisfied.
I would most gladly, if it were in my power, please all who
are connected with me : but if they reduce me to the dilemma
of either displeasing them or God, they must excuse me : for
" I must obey God rather than manf." The persons who are
offended with me, \\ould expect their servant to obey them
rather than a stranger : and is not God entitled to that de
ference from me ? I am " a servant of Jesus Christ ;" and I
must, at the peril of my soul, obey him. And as our blessed
Lord said respecting his own conduct to his heavenly Father,
" I do always those things which please himg;" so, God helping
me, will I say : and if I stand condemned for it at man's tri
bunal, I have this comfort, that, when standing at the tribunal
of my God, he will say, " Well done, good and faithful ser
vant ; enter thou into the joy of thy LordV]
d Matt. x. 35, 36. e Heb. xi. 5. f Acts v. 29.
s John viii. 29. h Matt. xxv. 21.
MMLII.
CONVERSION, AND ITS EFFECTS.
Gal. i. 15, 16. When it pleased God, who separated me from
my mother s womb, and catted me by his grace, to reveal his
Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; im
mediately I conferred not with flesh and blood.
GREAT were the trials which the Apostle Paul
met with in the Churches of Galatia through the
subtilty of some Judaizing teachers, who laboured,
and with too much success, to turn the newly con
verted Christians from the faith which Paul had
preached to them, and to bring them over to a faith
compounded of Judaism and Christianity. To give
the greater weight to their doctrines, they repre
sented Paul as preaching a Gospel which he had
received only from human authority, and not from
the Lord Jesus Christ, as all the other Apostles had ;
and consequently, as unworthy of the confidence
24 GALAT1ANS, I. 15, 16. [2052.
which his followers reposed in him. To counteract
the sad effects of their representations, St. Paul, in
the very introduction to his Epistle to the Galatians,
declared, that he had received his Gospel, " not of
men (as the authors), nor by man (as an instru
ment), but directly from the Lord Jesus Christ, and
from God the Father, who had raised him from the
deada :" and then, after expressing his " wonder that
they had been so soon turned away from him who
had called them into the grace of Christ," he pro
ceeds to vindicate more fully his apostolic authority :
" I certify you, brethren," says he, " that the Gospel
which was preached of me is not after man : for I
neither received it of man, neither was I taught it,
but by the revelation of Jesus Christ b." Then, after
specifying the time when it was revealed to him,
namely, in his way to Damascus, he asserts, that he
studiously avoided every thing which might be con
strued into a reception of it from men ; for he had
not gone at all at that time to Jerusalem, where the
other Apostles were, but into Arabia, where there
was none but God to teach him.
In the account which he thus gives of himself, he
gives us an insight into the work of conversion, and
into that line of conduct which all converted persons
should pursue. It is for the elucidating of these two
things that we have selected the passage which we
have just read : from which we shall take occasion
to shew,
I. Wherein our conversion must resemble Paul's—
Certainly it is not at all necessary that our con
version should resemble his in the external circum
stances ; for in respect of them he stands alone, not
so much as one of his attendants being, as far as we
know, converted with him. Nor even in respect of
the suddenness of it, is it at all necessary that \ve
should resemble him : our conversion may be so
gradual that \ve cannot trace it to any particular
time ; and yet it may be as certain and as evident as
b vcr. 11, 12.
2052.] CONVERSION, AND ITS EFFECTS. 25
his. But in its essential parts conversion is the same
in all. Ours therefore must resemble his,
1. In its origin, the electing love of God —
[God " separated him from his mother's womb " to the
apostolic office, just as he had done the prophet Jeremiah to
the prophetic office0. It was evidently not for his righteous
ness that he was thus chosen to know Christ for himself, and
to preach him to others : for, to the very instant of his conver
sion, he was a blasphemer, and injurious, and a persecutor. His
election can be traced to nothing but the sovereign will of
God. And to this must our conversion also be traced, if ever
we have been converted at all. " We have not chosen Christ,
but Christ us :" yea, " we were chosen of God in Christ
before the foundation of the world," and " predestinated to
the adoption of children" into his family. In this very epistle
St. Paul most studiously marks this. He speaks of the Gala-
tians as having known God : but, fearing, as it were, lest
they should suppose that the work had begun on their part,
he recalls his word, and says, " after that ye have known
God, or rather are known of God'*." Let us bear in mind
therefore, that, if we are converted, it is "not because we
loved God, but because he loved use :" " he loved us with an
everlasting love ; and therefore with loving-kindness hath he
drawn usf."]
2. In its means, the effectual grace of God—
[God " called him by his grace ;" and without the effec
tual working of his grace the Apostle would never have been
called at all. Nor shall we ever attain to a saving knowledge of
the Lord Jesus in any other way. Of ourselves " we can do
nothing," no, " not so much as think a good thought :" it is
" God alone who can give us either to will or to do " any thing
that is goodg. " If we are brought into a state of grace," it is
" he who hath made us willing in the day of his power."
" We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good
works11 :" the new creation is his work as much as the old :
whatever be the means, or whoever be the instrument " to
plant or water, it is he alone that gives the increase1." Every
child of man must say with the Apostle, " By the grace of
God I am what I amk :" " whoever he be that is born again,
he is born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the
will of man, but of God1."]
c Jer. i. 5. d Gal. iv. 9. See also Phil. iii. 12.
e 1 John iv. 10. f Jer. xxxi. 3. & Phil. ii. 15.
h Eph. ii. 10. * 1 Cor. iii. G. k 1 Cor. xv. 10.
1 John i. 1:3.
26 GALATIANS, I. 15, 16. [2052.
3. In its manner, by a revelation of Christ to the
soul —
[As far as relates to the external circumstances, we have
before said that no analogy exists: but as it respects the
revelation of Christ to the soul, conversion is the same in all.
There may be a preparatory work of conviction without this ;
but no conversion : for in this consists the essence of conver
sion, if we may so speak. The revelation given in the Scrip
tures may inform the mind ; but it is the revelation made to
the soul, that can alone convert and save the soul. The
means which converted Saul, produced no such effect on his
companions. Many others heard the word preached to them,
as well as Lydia : but she received benefit from it which
others did not, because " the Lord opened her heart to attend
to the things that were spoken." So, if we are savingly
enlightened, it is because God has " opened the eyes of our
understanding," and " given us the Spirit of wisdom and reve
lation in the knowledge of his Sonm," and "shined into our
hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in
the face of Jesus Christ"." It is then only that we truly
"receive Christ" as our Saviour0: then only do we "feed
truly on his flesh and blood ;" then only do we " believe in
him to the saving of the soul."]
4. In its end, to make him known in the world —
[We are not all called, like St. Paul, " to preach Christ
among the heathen ;" but we are called, like Paul himself, to
confess him openly?, and to become his avowed followers, and
to shew forth in our life and conversation the power of his
grace. We are all to " shine as lights in a dark world, hold
ing forth the word of life q." We are to be his witnesses, even
" epistles of Christ known and read of all men." We are so
to make our " light shine before men, that all who see us may
approve of his ways, and glorify his name1."]
From the effect produced on him by his conver
sion, we are led to consider,
II. Wherein our conduct must resemble his —
It is probable that his words relate rather to his
not seeking any intercourse with those who were at
that time the pillars of the Christian Church, than to
any workings of his own mind, which he studiously
m Eph. i. 17, 18. n 2 Cor. iv. 6. ° John i. 12.
r Acts xxii. 14, 15. Matt. x. 32, 33. <i Phil. ii. 15, 16.
r Matt. v. 1G.
2052.] CONVERSION, AND ITS EFFECTS. #7
suppressed. Yet the decision of his character on the
occasion shews us what we should be and do, when
once we have received the converting grace of God.
We must enter on the duties assigned us,
1. Without hesitation —
[Many doubts will be suggested by our own corrupt
hearts, how far it is necessary or expedient to devote ourselves
to the Lord Jesus Christ ; and our carnal friends will not fail
to remonstrate with us on our new views and pursuits. They
will tell us of the injury which we shall sustain in our reputa
tion and interests, if we make ourselves singular, and join our
selves to " a sect that is everywhere evil spoken of." They
will beseech us with much affectionate importunity to put
away these enthusiastic notions : and, if they have power over
us, they will blend menaces with their entreaties. But, from
whatever quarter the temptation may come, we must examine
its tendency, and, as soon as we see that its effect will be to
draw us back to the world, we must say to it, as our blessed
Lord under similar circumstances said to Peter, " Get thee
behind me, Satan : for thou savourest not the things that be
of God, but the things that be of men." We must listen to
nothing, however specious it may be, that would cause us to
dissemble with God, or divert us from the path prescribed
to us in his word. Our one question must be, What does my
Lord and Saviour require of me ? and by that must we be de
termined, though the whole world should endeavour to obstruct
our way. We must neither be allured by interest, nor deterred
by fear ; but must " hate father and mother, and even our own
lives also, in comparison of Christ."]
2. Without delay-
[Thus did Paul : " immediately" he betook himself to the
work assigned him8. Thus should we also : we should not
say, Let me go home first and take leave of my friends, or bury
my father : No : let the dead bury their dead : our duty is to
fulfil the will of Him who has called us to his kingdom and
glory. We shall occasionally feel strong temptations on this
subject. When difficulties and dangers present themselves,
we shall be ready to think we shall find some more convenient
season, when our way will be more plain and easy. But we
must, like Matthew at the receipt of custom, or like others of
the Apostles at their nets, forsake all and follow Christ.]
APPLICATION—
1. Let those of you who have experienced con
verting grace, give God the glory—
s Acts ix. 19, 20.
28 GALATIANS I. 23, 24. [2053.
[There is a strange backwardness in man to do this. If
all be traced to the sovereign grace of God, we bring forward
a thousand objections, that so we may divide the glory with
him. But this is not so in heaven: nor should it be on earth.
In heaven there is no song but that of " Salvation to God and
to the Lamb." Let it be so on earth. It is our indispensable
duty, our truest interest, our highest happiness, to give glory
to the God of heaven. Let us do it cheerfully, and without
reserve.]
2. Let those in whose hearts Christ has been
revealed, seek to know more and more of him—
[It is but little that any man knows of him. Paul him
self, after preaching Christ for twenty years, desired to know
more of him, in the power of his resurrection, and the fellow
ship of his sufferings. Let us also seek to "grow in grace, and
in the knowledge of him." The more we behold his glory, the
more we shall be changed into his image : and the more we
comprehend of his unsearchable love, the more shall we be
filled with all the fulness of God.]
3. Let all learn how to avoid the snares which
Satan lays for their feet—
[We must not parley with temptation, but act with
promptitude and decision. There must be in us a firmness
that is immoveable : yet should that firmness be tempered
with suavity. We must not think, that, because our superiors
are wrong in their endeavours to keep us back from Christ,
we are at liberty to slight their admonitions on other subjects,
or even on religion itself, as far as we can without violating
the commands of Christ. Whilst we guard against an undue
conformity to the world, we must guard also against two com
mon evils, superstition, and unnecessary scrupulosity: scru
pulosity makes that to be sin which is no sin ; and superstition
makes that to be duty which is no duty. Let us get our
minds rightly instructed : in matters of indifference, let us be
willing to yield ; but in matters of vital interest and import
ance, let us be firm and faithful even unto death.]
MMLIII.
GOD GLORIFIED IN HIS PEOPLE.
Gal. i. 23, 24. They had heard only, that he which persecuted
us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he de
stroyed. And they glorified God in me.
THE account of men's conversion to God is a
very profitable subject of contemplation. It tends to
2053.] GOD GLORIFIED IN HIS PEOPLE. 29
illustrate the infinite diversity of ways in which God
deals with men, and draws them to himself. St. Paul,
on various occasions, mentioned the peculiar manner
in which he was turned to God, and brought to the
obedience of faith a. He adverts to it in the chapter
before us, in order to establish beyond contradiction
his divine mission. It is not my intention to enter
into the circumstances of his conversion, any further
than they are referred to in my text : from whence
I shall take occasion to shew,
I. What may be expected of every true convert-
It is here taken for granted that he has embraced
the faith of Christ-
[This is to be taken for granted in all cases : for no man
can be a Christian till he has truly come to Christ, seeking
mercy at God's hands through him, even through his obe
dience unto death. This is the distinctive difference between
the Christian and others. Others may possess all that Paul
himself possessed in his unconverted state : all his privileges
of birth, all his attainments in knowledge, all his zeal in reli
gion, and all his blameless morality ; and yet, after all, be
" in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity." It is
his deep contrition as a sinner, his utter renunciation of all
self-dependence, either in respect to righteousness or strength,
and his simple affiance in the Lord Jesus Christ, that must
characterize him as a true believer — ]
This faith he will endeavour, to the utmost of his
power, to advance—
[If, like Paul, he have been " put into the ministry," he
will " preach Christ" to his people ; yea, and will " determine
to know nothing among them, save Jesus Christ, and him
crucified b"- - If he be a private Christian, he will exert
himself in every possible way to promote the extension of the
Redeemer's kingdom. Has he wealth ? he will gladly assist
in educating pious persons for the service of the sanctuary.
Has he influence? he will endeavour to establish faithful
ministers in places which seem to afford them scope for more
extensive usefulness0 — Many of the primitive Christians
gave up all that they possessed, that, in so doing, they might
a Acts ix. xxii. and xxvi. b 1 Cor. ii. 2.
c If this subject be used on occasion of a Visitation, these hints
about the exercise and advancement of the ministry should be consi
derably diversified and enlarged.
30 GALAT1ANS, I. 23, 24. [2053.
help forward the cause of Christ : and though the same sacri
fices be not required now, the same disposition is ; and every
Christian in the universe should be able to say, " I count not
even my life dear unto me, so that I may but finish my course
with joy," and fulfil my duty to my Lord and Saviour.]
The tidings of the Apostle's conversion were soon
spread far and wide ; and the conduct of those who
heard of it will shew us, in reference to every other
convert,
II. What reason there is to glorify God on his behalf—
In many views is the conversion of a sinner a
ground of joy and thankfulness :
1. For the benefit accruing to himself—
[He was but lately lying dead in trespasses and sins : now
he is quickened to a new and heavenly life. He was " an alien
from the commonwealth of Israel, and a stranger to the
covenants of promise : he is now a fellow-citizen with the saints
and of the household of God." He was a child of Satan, and
an heir of wrath : he is now a child of God, and an heir of
heaven. Over such an one the angels in heaven rejoice d: yea,
over such an one God himself rejoices ; " killing for him the
fatted calf, and making merry with him6." To this change of
state must be added his change of nature also : and who can
contemplate that, and not adopt the language of St. Paul,
" We give thanks to God, and the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in
Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,
and for the hope which is laid up for you in heavenf?" It
matters not who he be, or in what quarter of the globe he
live ; the tidings of this change should draw forth from us the
grateful sentiment which was expressed at the conversion of
Cornelius ; we should " glorify God, saying, Then hath God
to the Gentiles also granted repentance unto lifeg."]
2. For the honour arising to God —
[By none except real converts is God honoured in the
world : but by them he is admired, and loved, and served, and
glorified. In them, too, do all his glorious perfections shine
forth. Who can see a true convert, and not admire the for
bearance, the mercy, the love, the power, that have been
exercised towards him. In the works of creation the wisdom
and goodness of God are visible : but in the new creation,
there is a combination of all those perfections, which had no
d Luke xv. 10. e Luke xv. 32. with Zeph. iii. 17.
f Col.i. 3, 4. e Acts xi. 18.
2053.] GOD GLORIFIED IN HIS PEOPLE. 31
scope for exercise till man had fallen, and was redeemed
by the blood of God's only-begotten Son. Can we wonder
that the angels, on the first discovery of this work of mercy,
burst forth into songs which they had never known before :
" Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will
towards menh!" In truth, this is the one great theme of
praise and adoration in heaven : and all who see the subject
realized on earth, must, if they have any love to God, rejoice
that persons are raised up, to give him the glory due unto his
name.]
3. For the advantages that may be expected from
it to the Church of God —
[The conversion of St. Paul, what a benefit was it to the
whole world ! What a benefit will it be to millions through
all eternity ! And, though none of us can bear any comparison
with him, will any one pretend to estimate the good which the
very least amongst us may be the means of effecting in the
world ? The work of a minister does not cease with his per
sonal ministrations ; but is ramified through a whole country,
and augmented through all succeeding ages. And the poorest
person, by a word spoken, or by his life and conversation, may,
like Naaman's maid, be the means of converting one, whose
influence may extend through a whole kingdom. Every
addition therefore to the Church of God, is a ground of joy,
and should call forth the devoutest thanksgivings from all to
whom the tidings of it are made known.]
ADDRESS —
1. Those who have never yet embraced the Gospel—
[Never has any one yet had occasion to glorify God for
you. On the contrary, there has been reason to weep over
you incessantly, even to the present hour -You may
not have been a persecutor of the Church ; but you have been
an enemy of God and his Christ from your youth up: for " the
carnal mind is enmity with God, and is not subject to the
law of God, neither indeed can be." You, therefore, must be
converted as much as he. It is not needful that you should be
converted in the same way as he, or in the same sudden manner ;
but converted you must be, or perish1. You must believe as
he did; and embrace that very Gospel which he preached.
O, beg of " God to count you worthy of this calling, and to
fulfil in you all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work
of faith with power ; that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ
may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace
of our God and of the Lord Jesus ChristV]
b Luke ii. 14. j Matt, xviii, 3. k 2 Thess. i. 11, 12.
32 GALATIANS, II. 5. [2054.
2. Those who profess themselves to have received
the Gospel—
[See that ye " adorn the Gospel ; that ye adorn it in all
things." Let the change be as visible in you, as it was in Paul.
I mean not that ye are to affect the same ostensible character
as he sustained; for ye are not called to that: but to live
unto God ye are called ; and to exert yourselves, according to
your opportunities and ability, to promote his glory in the
world, ye are called: and therefore to all of you, without
exception, I say, " Let your light so shine before men, that
they, beholding your good works, may glorify your Father
which is in heaven1."]
i Matt. v. 16.
MMLIV.
CHRISTIAN AND UNCHRISTIAN PERTINACITY.
Gal. ii. 5. To ivhoni we gave place by subjection, no, not for an
hour; that the truth of the Gospel might continue with you.
NEVER, from the foundation of the world, was
there, as far as we know, a richer combination of
graces in any child of man, than in the Apostle Paul.
As in light there is an assemblage of very different
rays, which, when in due proportion and in simul
taneous motion, cause that bright and pure effulgence
which we call light, so in him were found dispositions
most opposed to each other, yet so combined as to
form in him the most perfect character. Certainly,
that which first of all strikes us as constituting the
chief trait in his character, is a freedom from all
selfish feelings, and a willingness to do or suffer any
thing whereby man may be benefited, and God be glo
rified. Yet, in the passage which we have just read,
we see, not only an inflexibility of mind, but such an
expression of it as we should scarcely have expected
from so mild and kind a man.
When he was at Jerusalem, attended by a young
disciple, named Titus, he was urged to have him cir
cumcised ; not for the purpose of removing prejudice,
and gaining an easier access to the minds of men,
2054.] CHRISTIAN AND UNCHRISTIAN PERTINACITY. 33
but from an idea, that the observance of that rite was
necessary to the completion of Christianity, and to
the attainment of the Gospel salvation. To such
advisers he would not listen for a moment. What
ever might be their rank or influence in the Church,
he regarded them not as deserving the slightest de
ference from him on such a subject3; since a com
pliance with their wishes would vitiate, and altogether
invalidate, the Gospel of Christ.
Now, that this inflexibility of his may be duly ap
preciated, I will shew,
I. When pertinacity may be considered as unamiable
and sinful —
" To be zealously affected always in a good thing
is commendableb :" but zeal may be misplaced, and
especially when it operates so far as to make a man
inflexible. A bold, confident, dogmatical spirit, is at
all times unamiable ; and especially,
1. When the object in dispute is questionable or
indifferent—
[Some there are, who, on every subject, speak as if they
were infallible ; and not only claim, what must be conceded to
them, a right to think and act for themselves, but a right to
impose on others also a necessity to comply with their mind
and will. At all events, they themselves are immoveable on
almost any subject upon which they have formed even the
most hasty opinion : and, if they tolerate, they will never
adopt, the sentiments opposed to them. Such were the dis
positions manifested by many in the Apostle's days, especially
in reference to some ordinances of the Jewish law ; such as
the observance of certain days, and the eating of meats offered
to idols. So confident were the opposite parties, that, not
content with following their own judgment, they each con
demned the practice of the other; " the strong despising the
weak, and the weak sitting in judgment on the strong0." But
how did the Apostle Paul act? He knew that neither the
observance nor the neglect of such forms could " commend a
man to God, or ameliorate his state before Godd;" conse
quently, that he was at liberty to act in relation to them as
circumstances might require: but, "rather than use his
a See ver. 6. b Gal. iv. 18. c Rom. xiv. 1 — 3.
d 1 Cor. viii. 8.
VOL. XVII. D
34 GALATIANS, II. 5. [2054.
liberty in a way that should give offence to a weak brother,
he would not eat flesh so long as the world should stand0."
View him on another occasion, towards the close of his
life. Being at Jerusalem, where there were " many thousands
of Jews zealous of the law, he was advised by James, and all
the elders of the Church, to join with four other persons in
performing the vows of Nazariteship, according to the law
of Moses; in order to shew, that, notwithstanding he had
maintained the liberty of the Gentiles to disregard the Mosaic
ritual, he was no enemy to it, so far as respected the Jews,
who could not yet see that it was abolished. Had he been
of a self-willed and a pertinacious mind, he might have urged
reasons in plenty, which, in appearance at least, might justify
his opposition to this advice. But he had no wish, no will, no
way of his own, if, by renouncing it, he might do good, and
benefit his fellow-creatures ; and therefore " the very next
day he commenced the work of purification in the temple,
according to the law of Moses f." (There are, indeed, those
who condemn him for this act of conformity. But, as they
set up their own judgment against St. James, and all the
saints and elders of Jerusalem, I leave them without further
remark.)
Now we see, in these instances, how condescending he was
to the views and wishes of others ; and what that spirit was
which he exercised, as contrasted with the unamiable arid
unchristian spirit of his opponents.]
2. When the object in dispute is purely temporal
and carnal—
[Some will contend about the veriest trifles, wherein their
own interest is concerned : and will even glory in their firmness
and pertinacity. But this spirit is in direct opposition to the
mind of Christ, who says, " If any man will sue thee at the
law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also :
and whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him
twain g." Let us see how St. Paul acted in reference to such
matters. He had a right to be supported by the Church to
which he ministered. God's law had actually so appointed,
that " they should not muzzle the ox that trod out the corn."
But there were, in the Church, some teachers whose main
object was to advance their own interests, and who would not
fail to cite him as sanctioning, by his example, their selfish
habits. He therefore determined to wave altogether his own
rights ; and to work night and day for his own support, rather
than to afford them such a sanction as they desired h. We
e 1 Cor. viii. 13. f Acts xxi. 20 — 26. & Matt. v. 40, 41.
h iCor.ix. 4— 15. 2 Cor. xi. 9, 12. lThess.ii.9. 2Thess.iii.8, 9.
2054.] CHRISTIAN AND UNCHRISTIAN PERTINACITY. 35
have a lovely instance of disinterestedness in Mephibosheth,
the son of Saul. When David fled from the face of Absalom,
Ziba, Mephibosheth's servant, took his master's asses laden
with provisions, and went with them to David ; reporting that
his master was now gratified with the hope of David's death,
and of his own restoration to his father's throne. David, in
consequence of this, gave to Ziba all his master's property.
But on David's return to Jerusalem, Mephibosheth went to
meet him ; and told him how deeply he had sympathized
with the banished monarch, and how scandalously he had been
traduced by his servant Ziba. Upon this, David so far re
called his former grant to Ziba, as to order that Mephibosheth
and Ziba should divide the property between them. Upon
which, Mephibosheth, forgetting all the injuries he had sus
tained from Ziba, replied, " Let him take all, forasmuch as
my lord the king is come again in peace unto his own house1."
Here we see how all his own personal interests were swallowed
up in a sense of love to David, and in a joyful participation of
David's happiness.
Such is the duty of every true Christian. For St. Paul,
speaking to those Corinthians who contended for their own
rights, and carried their contests into a court of law, tells
them that " there was utterly a fault among them ;" and then
says, " Why do ye not rather take wrong, and suffer your
selves to be defraudedk?" As for carrying this yielding
spirit to excess, we are in no danger of that: our danger is,
the not carrying it far enough : for it is impossible not to see,
that, in the whole of our Saviour's life, he never shined more
bright than " when, being led as a lamb to the slaughter, he
opened not his mouth l ;" and when he was treated with every
species of cruelty upon the cross, he prayed and apologized
for his murderers, " Father, forgive them ; for they know not
what they dom."]
But, notwithstanding the hatefulness of pertinacity
in general, there are seasons,
II. When it becomes a virtue of prime necessity—
A firmness of character is indispensable in the true
Christian : and he must be absolutely " immoveable ","
1. When otherwise the obedience of Christ would
be violated—
[Not our actions only, but " cur very thoughts also, are
to be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ0."
1 2 Sam. xix. 30. k 1 Cor. vi. 7. ] Isai. liii. 7.
m Luke xxiii. 34. n 1 Cor. xv. r>8. ° 2 Cor. x. 5.
D 2
36 GALATIANS, II. 5. [2054.
A command from him supersedes all human authority, and
must be obeyed under all circumstances. The Hebrew
Youths were required to bow down to Nebuchadnezzar's
golden image : they were the only persons in the whole
Chaldean empire who refused to comply with the royal edict :
and they were threatened to be cast into a furnace of fire, if
they persisted in their disobedience P : yet did they maintain
their steadfastness, in despite of all these menaces : and in this
they acted as became the servants of the living God. Daniel
manifested the same holy boldness, when he was commanded
not to offer prayers to Jehovah for the space of thirty days.
He had been accustomed to pray with his window open to
wards the holy city of Jerusalem: and he might have avoided
observation, if he would only have shut his window. But he
felt himself bound to honour God at all events, and not to
dissemble before him. He therefore yielded not to intimida
tion ; but submitted rather to be cast into the den of lions, than
to violate his duty to his Godq. Who does not admire the
fortitude of these men, and commend their pertinacity in such
a cause ? The Apostles of our Lord all maintained the same
firmness, when forbidden to preach in the name of Christ.
Their governors would probably have connived at their secret
adherence to Christ, if only they would forbear to preach his
name, and to diffuse their heresy around them. But these
holy men had received a commission to preach the Gospel ;
and execute it they would, whatever perils they might incur
in the discharge of their duty. And they appealed to their
governors themselves, whether it was right or possible for them
to act otherwise: " Whether it be right in the sight of God
to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye: for we
cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard1."
Thus we, in our respective situations, may be called upon, by
those who are in authority over us, to neglect or violate a
positive duty : but we must not give place by subjection, no,
not for an hour ; but " must obey God rather than man8 ;" and
must "resist unto blood, striving against sin1;" and glory in
death itself, when sustained in such a cause11.]
2. When otherwise the faith of Christ would be
compromised —
[This was the particular point at issue between St. Paul
and the Judaizing teachers whom he opposed. He had for
merly circumcised Timothy, because he judged that that
measure would facilitate his access to his Jewish brethren, and
his acceptance with them. But the circumcision of Titus was
P Dan. iii. 16—18. <i Dan. vi. 10, 11. r Acts iv. 18 — 20.
s Acts v. 29, * Heb. xii. 4. ll Acts xx. 24.
2054.] CHRISTIAN AND UNCHRISTIAN PERTINACITY. 37
demanded, as necessary to complete and perfect the Gospel-
salvation. To accede to it in that view would have been to
betray his trust, as the minister of the Gentiles. He knew
that the Mosaic law was abrogated : and, so far would the obser
vance of it be from perfecting the work of Christ, that it would
invalidate it altogetherx, and cause Christ himself to have died
in vainy. Could he then yield to such a demand as this? No,
not for an hour ; not for a moment. On the contrary, if Peter
himself were led to dissemble, and to compromise in any respect
the faith of Christ, Paul would " rebuke him to his face," and
that too before the whole Church2: so determined was he to
preserve from every base mixture the faith which he had been
commissioned to propagate and uphold. Now, this jealousy
must we also cherish, in reference to the faith of Christ. We
must suffer nothing for a moment to blend itself with the
work of Christ, as a ground of our hope before God. The
doctrine of human merit must be an utter abomination in our
eyes: as robbing Christ of his glory, and as substituting a
foundation of sand in the place of the Rock of Ages, There
is but one foundation: there can be no other*: and if .any
power on earth could require us to build on any other, or to
put so much as a single stone to it of our own forming, we
must not listen to him for a moment. The altar was to be
built of whole stones, not hewn or wrought by manb; and
Christ alone must sanctify our offerings, and procure us ac
ceptance with our God. And so firm must we be in our
adherence to him, and so simple in our affiance, that if an angel
from heaven were to instill into our minds any doctrine that
would interfere with this, we must not hesitate to denounce
him as accursed0: so "earnestly must we contend for the
faith d," and so resolutely must we keep it pure and undefiled.]
SEE, then,
1. What need we have to get our minds duly en
lightened—
[Suppose, for a moment, St. Paul had proved as ignorant
or unstable as St. Peter, what evils would have accrued, both
to the Church and to the world at large ! In fact, the whole
faith of Christ would have been subverted ; and, if God had
not in some other way interposed to prevent it, the whole world
would have been ruined. Yet how little is this point consi
dered, by many who nevertheless call themselves Christians !
The whole Church of Rome has set aside the faith of Christ,
x Gal. v. 2. y Gal. v. 4. z ver. 11.
a Acts iv. 12. 1 Cor. iii. 11. b Exod. xx. 25. Deut. xxvii. 5, 6
r Gal. i. 6—8. d Jude, ver. 3.
38 GALATIANS, II. 5. [2054.
by uniting with Christ other objects of faith and other grounds
of hope. It is right, therefore, that every enlightened man
should protest against it, and depart from it. But shall we,
therefore, justify those who depart from our Church ? No ;
for the faith of Christ, as maintained by our Church, is pure
and unadulterated: and we have shewn, that, in matters of
minor and subordinate importance, to indulge an unreason
able stiffness and pertinacity is not well: and we ought to
have our judgment well informed, so as to discriminate clearly
between the foundation and the superstructure. In the super
structure there may be somewhat undesirable, and yet no
material injury accrue: but an error in the foundation will be
fatal to the whole building : and this is the consideration which
alone justifies a determined and uncompromising resistance to
the established order of our Church. St. Paul has drawn this
line of distinction, and adopted it as the rule of his own con
duct ; as indeed did James also, and all the other Apostles :
and the more we get our views and habits assimilated to theirs,
the better members we shall be of the Church of Christ]
2. What need we have to get our spirit and con
duct duly regulated—
[That same pertinacity which, under some circumstances,
is necessary, under others is unbecoming the true Christian.
A yielding spirit is lovely : and perhaps we may say, that
a yielding temper should be the rule, and a pertinacious spirit
the exception. Perhaps too we may say, that men will do
well to mark the natural bias of their minds, and in their con
duct to lean rather to that side which is opposed to it. A person
of a very gentle and yielding spirit should rather lean to the
side of firmness in doubtful matters ; and a person of a naturally
bold and determined spirit should rather cultivate a spirit of
compliance : because we are not in danger of erring much in
opposition to our natural inclination ; and if we do go too
far, we have always something within our own bosoms to bring
us back : whereas, if we err on the side of our natural bias, we
may be precipitated we know not whither, and have nothing
to bring us back again to a due equipoise. But, under any
circumstances, we must take care not to plead conscience,
where, in fact, it is our own will that guides us ; and, on the
other hand, not to plead Christian liberty, where the path of
duty is that of self-denying firmness. But " who is sufficient
for these things?" If such men as Peter and Barnabas erred,
we had need to cry mightily to God to " direct our feet in the
right way," and to " uphold us in our goings, that our foot
steps slip not."]
2055.] REMEMBERING THE POOR. 39
MMLV.
REMEMBERING THE POOR.
Gal. ii. 10. Only they would that we should remember the poor;
the same which I also was forward to do.
THE circumstances to which my text refers, were
very peculiar. St. Paul, in conformity with the com
mission given him by the Lord, had preached his
Gospel to the Gentiles, whilst the other Apostles con
fined chiefly their ministrations to the Jews : and,
knowing that the ceremonial law had never been
given to the Gentiles, he neither required of them
the observance of it, nor observed it himself. But
now, after fourteen years, he went up to Jerusalem
with Barnabas his fellow-labourer ; and, being aware
that his having neglected and dispensed with the
ceremonial law was likely to excite prejudice against
him amongst the Jews, he sought a private interview
with the chief Apostles first, in order that he might
explain to them the reasons of his conduct, and
through them remove all objections from the minds
of others. Having succeeded in this, he desired to
know whether they, with all their superior advan
tages, could give him any additional instruction : but
they frankly acknowledged, that they could add no
thing to him ; and all that they had to request of
him was, that " he would remember the poor ; which
he of himself was most forward to do."
Now, from hence I will take occasion to shew you,
I. In what respects difformity is admissible—
The difference between St. Paul's ministrations, and
those of the other Apostles, was exceeding great—
[St. Paul, as we have said, dispensed with the Jewish laws
altogether ; whilst the other Apostles observed them. Now
this difference, if Paul had not acted with consummate pru
dence, would have made an irreconcileable breach between
them. Nor do we blame the other Apostles for the jealousy
they exercised on this occasion. They had received the law
from God ; and were told, in that very law, that " every one
who should presumptuously neglect it in any respect, should
40 GALATIANS, II. 10. [2055.
be cut off from the people of the Lorda." They did not, as
yet, clearly see that the law had been abrogated by the Lord :
much less was this known to the Jews in general at Jerusalem.
Still, however, it was so far understood, that all acknowledged,
that the difference between Paul and them was, under existing
circumstances, admissible. They saw, as Paul himself also did,
that an uniform practice at Jerusalem was expedient : and
therefore St. Paul himself, whilst at Jerusalem, observed the
law, as well as others: yea, many years after this, he even
joined himself to others who had made a vow to purify them
selves as Nazarites, and purified himself together with themb.
But, amongst the Gentiles, such observances were regarded as
altogether indifferent ; and therefore were neither required by
him from others, nor retained in his own practice.]
Now this is the precise path adopted by the Church
of England—
[The Church of England has its rites, its forms, its cere
monies ; but they are as few, and as simple, as can be imagined.
Nor does she require them to be observed by any but her own
members. Others, who judge them inexpedient, are left to
adopt any other rites which in their minds and consciences
they prefer. And in this the Church of England differs alto
gether from the Church of Rome, which insists on an universal
observance of all her forms ; and denounces, as heretics, and
consigns over to perdition, all who differ from her. Every
society under heaven has rules established for its own govern
ment, and expects its members to conform to them ; else
there would be nothing, in any society, but disorder and con
fusion. And the Church of England fitly requires this : and
I hesitate not to say, that her members generally, and her
ministers in particular, are bound in conscience to adhere to
them. But, where a diversity of circumstances calls for a
diversity of habits, there the rules, by which we were previously
bound, are relaxed ; and a difference of conduct may readily
be admitted0.
The true medium for our adoption is this; to think for
ourselves; but neither to be intolerant nor rigid. The whole
college of Apostles at Jerusalem observed the law them
selves, but tolerated the non-observance of it in others.
St. Paul, on the other hand, knowing that the law was no
longer obligatory on him, observed it, because he would not
give needless offence by refusing to conform to the established
a Numb. xv. 30. b Acts xxi. 23, 24.
c Presbyterianism is the Established Church in Scotland ; and the
king, George IV. as became a wise, and candid, and • tolerant
monarch, attended divine worship at the Kirk.
2055.] REMEMBERING THE POOR. 41
usages. This was a becoming spirit in both : and if this spirit
prevailed amongst us, as it ought, we should see very little of
separation from the Established Church, and no want of cor
diality towards those who judged themselves constrained to
differ from herd.]
Thus we see how far they were agreed to differ.
Now let us see,
II. In what respects uniformity is indispensable—
In doctrine they were all agreed. All preached
repentance, and remission of sins in the name of Jesus
Christ. And in this can no difference be admitted ;
seeing there is no " other foundation whereon any
man can build, but Jesus Christ6;" "nor any other
name given, whereby any man can be saved f." Hence,
when Peter countenanced an idea that an observance
of the law was necessary, and thereby obscured
and endangered the purity of the Gospel, St. Paul
reproved him to his face before the whole Church g.
So far from tolerating any thing that should super
sede the doctrine of salvation by faith alone, St. Paul
denounced a curse even against an angel from heaven,
if one should be found to publish any doctrine that
would interfere with this. Uniformity in this respect,
therefore, was taken for granted. But we have in our
text one point insisted on by those at Jerusalem, and
cordially acceded to on the part of Paul ; namely,
the universal necessity of exercising love, and espe
cially to the destitute and distressed. This was the
ONLY point which they specified, as indispensably
necessary to the Christian character : on which,
therefore, they required that no difference whatever
should exist. Of this, then, I must say,
1. It is, by the unanimous judgment of all the
Apostles, recommended to you—
[It is absolutely essential to piety, that it exert itself in a
way of tender sympathy and self-denying energy towards all
the members of Christ's mystical body. If we exercise not
ourselves in this way, we in vain profess to have love either
d See the 34th Article. e 1 Cor. iii. 11.
f Acts iv. 12. » ver. 11.
42 GALATIANS, II. 10. [2055.
towards God or man. We have none towards God : for
St. John says, " Whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his
brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion
from him, how dtvelleth the love of God in himh ?" Nor can we
have any real love towards our fellow-creature : for St. James
saith, " If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily
food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye
warmed and filled ; notwithstanding, ye give them not those
things which are needful to the body ; what doth it profit1 ?"
Nor, in fact, can we have any true religion at all : for St. James
again saith : " Pure religion and undefiled before God and the
Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their
affliction k." Indeed, I must add yet further, that we can have
no hope before God in the day of judgment : for our Lord
will say to those who have neglected these offices of love,
" Inasmuch as ye did it not to the least of these my brethren,
ye did it not to me : and therefore depart accursed into ever
lasting fire1." I do then most solemnly recommend to you,
my brethren, that you very especially attend to this duty at all
times, and under all circumstances. And, when I strike this
chord, saying, " Remember the poor," I do hope that in your
hearts there will be found a corresponding string, that shall
vibrate at the touch ; and that every one of you will reply,
* This is the very thing which I myself am forward to do.']
2. It is that which the present occasion more par
ticularly calls for — ra
To CONCLUDE — Unite in your own hearts the blessed
dispositions which are here exhibited. Cultivate,
1. A spirit of candour towards those who differ
from you—
[There is in many a narrowness of mind, like that of the
Apostles, when " they forbad a man to cast out devils, because
he followed not with them." It cannot be expected that all
should think alike on matters of minor importance : nor
should you be grieved with any because they move not exactly
in your way. There is no need that you should adopt the
forms of those who differ from you : you must all judge and
act for yourselves : but you should concede to others the
liberty which you claim ; and " bid God speed to all who love
the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity."]
h 1 John iii. 17. * Jam. ii. 15, 16.
k Jam. i. 27. J Matt. xxv. 40, 41.
m Here state the particulars of the Charity for which you plead ;
and urge on the audience either its necessities or its use.
2056.] PETER REPROVED BY PAUL. 43
2. A spirit of benevolence towards those who need
your aid—
[If you are richer than others, consider yourselves as the
Lord's stewards ; and do not stay till you are called upon, and
then " give your alms grudgingly and of necessity ;" but " be
glad to distribute, and willing to communicate ;" remembering
that blessed saying of our Lord, " It is more blessed to give
than to receive."]
MMLVI.
PETER REPROVED BY PAUL.
Gal. ii. 14< — 16. When I saw that they walked not uprightly
according to the truth of the Gospel, I said unto Peter before
them all. If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of
Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the
Gentiles to live as do the Jews ? We who are Jews by nature,
and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not
justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus
Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might
be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the
law : for by the works of the law shall no flesh be just-ified.
THE Apostles, in all that they declared, were in
fallible, being under the immediate guidance of the
Holy Spirit, by whom they were inspired ; but, in
what they did, they were frail and fallible, like other
men. Of this we have a painful evidence in the
passage before us ; wherein we see Peter, from whom
the Roman pontiff, unfortunately for his own claims,,
derives his infallibility, fallen into the grossest error,
and acting in a way which brought upon him the
severest reprehension. The circumstances relating
to that event are faithfully recorded for the instruc
tion of the Church in all ages : and, as they com
prehend things of fundamental importance to our
welfare, we will enter into them somewhat minutely;
and state,
I. The conduct reproved—
Peter, during his stay at Antioch, where the Church
consisted almost exclusively of converts from among
44 GALATIANS, II. 14—16. [2056.
the Gentiles, had disregarded the distinctions of the
Jewish law, which he knew to be no longer binding ;
and had acted according to the customs of the Gen
tiles amongst whom he dwelt : but upon the arrival
of certain persons from Jerusalem, where the ordi
nances of the Mosaic law were still continued in the
Church, he returned to the observation of the Jewish
ritual, and constrained the Gentiles also to follow his
example. Now this was highly reprehensible, being,
1. Most sinful in itself—
[Had he from a tender regard to the prejudices of his
less enlightened brethren conformed to their customs, he
would have done well ; even as Paul himself did, when, " to
the Jews, he became a Jew, and to those who were under the
law, as under the law." But, whilst he did this, he should
have taken care to maintain the liberty of the Gentile con
verts, and to explain to them his reasons for reverting to
Jewish ceremonies, that they might not be ensnared by his
example. But instead of acting with this caution and ten
derness towards the Gentile converts, he withdrew from them,
and compelled them to conform to Jewish rites : and this lie
did too, not from love to the Jews, but from fear of their
displeasure. Now this was gross " dissimulation :" He knew,
that the Jewish law was abrogated : he knew, that he himself
was liberated from the observance of it: he knew, that the
Gentiles could have no concern with it; and that to enjoin the
observance of it on them, was to impose a yoke on them,
which neither he himself nor any of his ancestors had been
able to sustain. In this therefore he walked not uprightly ;
but betrayed the trust which had been committed to him, the
apostolic trust, of enlightening and saving a ruined world.]
2. Most pernicious in its tendency—
[This conduct of his tended to sanction the most fatal
error, and, in fact, to subvert the whole Gospel. The Jewish
converts had an idea, that the Gospel itself could not save
them, unless they added to it the observance of the law : and
it was found impossible at once to eradicate this prejudice
from the Jewish mind, because they could not see how that,
which God had so strictly enjoined under one dispensation,
could be wholly set aside under another. Indeed this was the
great stumbling-block to the Jews : and if they could have
been allowed to blend their law with the Gospel, they would
almost universally, and with great readiness, have embraced
the Gospel. But of such a mixture the Gospel does not admit
Christ has in his own person fulfilled the law; and, by hi
2056.] PETER REPROVED BY PAUL. 45
obedience unto death, salvation is provided for a ruined world.
No other obedience must be blended with it as a joint ground
of hope: his righteousness is that which alone can justify us
before God ; and his must be all the glory. But Peter by
this conduct confirmed the Jews in their error, and established
the same error among the Gentiles also : and, if God had not
raised up Paul to reprove it in the outset, the whole Gospel
might have been superseded, almost as soon as it had been
promulgated : and all the effects of Christ's mediation might
have been utterly destroyed. We see on that occasion how
far the influence of Peter extended : for it drew away all the
Jewish converts at Antioch, yes, and even Barnabas himself,
from the truth of God : and if the evil had not been stopped
in its commencement, who can tell how soon, and how fatally,
it might have inundated the whole Church ? Verily such con
duct as this deserved reproof; and we have reason to bless
our God, who endued Paul with wisdom and courage to
reprove it.]
Suitable to the occasion was,,
II. The reproof administered—
St. Paul, when he saw the misconduct of Peter,
did not secretly endeavour to destroy the character of
his offending brother, but boldly and openly reproved
him before the whole Church. Had the offence been
of a private and personal nature only, it would have
been right to admonish his brother privately, and not
to bring it before the Church, till private admonitions
had been used in vain : but, when the welfare of the
whole Church was at stake, it was necessary that the
reproof should be as public as the offence. Hence,
when all the Church was assembled, Paul took occa
sion to reprove,
1. His inconsistency—
[Peter had in that very place neglected the Jewish law,
as he was fully authorized to do : but, when some Jews came
thither from Jerusalem, he both altered his own conduct, and
compelled all others, even Gentiles themselves, to follow his
example. What a grievous inconsistency was this ! And
how must he have been struck dumb, when Paul so pointedly
expostulated with him, " If thou, being a Jew, livest after the
manner of the Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, WHY com-
pellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?" What
excuse could he offer? Alas! none all.
46 GALATIANS, II. 14—16. [2056.
But grievous as such inconsistency would have been in any
one, it was peculiarly sinful in Peter : for it was at this very
place, Antioch, that the point had been some time before
discussed with great vehemence ; and so pertinaciously had
the Jewish teachers maintained the universal and perpetual
obligation of their own law, that not even the united wisdom
and authority of Paul and Barnabas could settle the dispute ;
so that it became necessary to refer the matter to the decision
of the whole college of Apostles at Jerusalem. Accordingly
the question was stated ; and Paul and Barnabas on the one
side, and some of the Judaizing teachers on the other, were
deputed to go up to Jerusalem, and there to get it finally
settled by such authority as they were all agreed to submit to.
Accordingly the deputation went ; and laid before the Apostles
the matter in dispute. And who, of all the Apostles, was the
man that undertook to determine it ? It was this very Peter,
who now was undoing all that he had before done. He called
the attention of the assembly to the commission which he had
received to open the kingdom of heaven both to Jews and
Gentiles ; and reminded them, that, on his preaching first to
the Gentiles, God had sent down the Holy Spirit on them,
precisely as he had before done upon the Jews at the day of
Pentecost ; thus visibly and unquestionably declaring, that the
Gentiles were to have the Gospel freely administered to them
without any observance of the Jewish law. And on this tes
timony, supported by that of the prophetic writings, James,
who presided on that occasion, determined the point ; and, to
the great joy of the Gentile converts, confirmed to them the
liberty which they were so desirous to retain3. Yet behold,
this very Peter, at this very place, before these very Gentiles,
and in the presence of these very messengers, Paul and Bar
nabas, took upon himself to rescind the decree of the whole
college of Apostles, and to insist on the Gentiles observing
Jewish rites, which he, as a Jew, had neglected and despised.
Alas ! Peter, who would have expected this at thy hands ?
Who would have thought that, after having been distinguished
above all the children of men, in that the keys of the kingdom
of heaven were committed unto thee from thy Saviour's hands ;
and after having seen myriads flock into it in consequence of
thine opening of the doors, thou shouldest use those very keys
to shut the doors again, and thereby, as far as in thee lay,
exclude from the kingdom all who had already entered, and all
others of the human race? Verily, the reproof given thee,
though so public and severe, was nothing more than what
thou justly deservedst for thy grievous inconsistency.]
2. His impiety—
a Acts xv. 1—19. with Matt. xvi. 18, 10. and Acts x. 34—44.
2056.] PETER REPROVED BY PAUL. 47
[It was not the decree of man, but of the Most High God,
that he presumed to abrogate. God had graciously sent his
only-begotten Son to be the Saviour of the world : and had
declared that in him should all nations be blessed. By faith
in that Saviour had Abraham, the father of the faithful, been
saved, hundreds of years before the Mosaic law was given :
and when that law was given, it was not intended to alter the
nature of the salvation before promised, but only to keep the
Jews a separate people, and to prepare them for the Saviour
whom they were taught to expect. Thus not even to the
Jews was the observance of the Mosaic ritual enjoined for the
purpose of establishing a righteousness by means of it, but
only to direct their attention to that Saviour, from whom alone
a saving righteousness could be obtained. Yet behold, Peter
undertook to change the very way of salvation itself, and to
thrust from his office that adorable Saviour, who had already
come down from heaven, and " purchased the Church with
his own blood." Had an angel from heaven been guilty of
such presumption, he had, as St. Paul tells us, deserved to be
accursed b : What then didst not thou deserve for thine impiety,
unhappy Peter, when, in committing it, thou knewest that
thou wast sinning against God, and subverting the very found
ations of a Christian's hope! Me thinks, if Satan exulted when
he had prevailed on thee to deny thy Lord and Saviour, how
much more did he shout for joy when he had seduced thee so
to betray the trust reposed in thee, as to give him a hope,
that through thee the Saviour's kingdom should be utterly and
eternally destroyed ! Holy Paul, we thank thee for thy fidelity
to thy fallen brother: we thank thee for thy zeal in thy
Master's cause, and for thy love to the whole Gentile world.
But above all, we adore thee, O most blessed God, who didst
endue thy servant with such wisdom and grace, and enable him
by his timely and courageous interposition to break the snare
which Satan had laid for the whole race of mankind.]
The fact thus recorded is of infinite importance on
account of,
III. The instruction to be gathered from it—
Every part of this record teems with instruction.
But we must content ourselves with submitting to
your attention two points only ; namely,
1. That salvation is solely by faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ, without the works of the law—
[This forms the very ground of the reproof which Paul
k Gal. i. 8, 9.
48 GALATIANS, II. 14—16. [2056.
gave to Peter. It was indeed the observance of the ceremonial
law that gave occasion for the reproof: but the works of the
moral law must of necessity be comprehended in the reproof
itself, because it is as a subversion of the faith of Christ that
St. Paul chiefly complains of Peter's conduct. The observance
of the ceremonial law, as an act of obedience to God, might
have been unnecessary, and inexpedient: but it could not
have been of so fatal a nature as St. Paul represents it, if
obedience in other respects had been meritorious before God :
if it did not add to the merit of moral obedience, it could not
so detract from it, as to make both that and the death of
Christ also of no value : yet St. Paul speaks of it as " removing
the people from the grace of Christ to another Gospel c," yea,
" as frustrating the grace of God," and causing " the death of
Christ to be in vaind." It was in this view, I say, as tending
to establish a salvation by works instead of a salvation by faith
in Christ, that St. Paul so strenuously opposed the conduct of
Peter. The Apostles " knew that a man could not be justified
by the works of the law ;" and therefore they renounced all
dependence on the works of the law, and looked for justification
solely by faith in Christ. This, I say, they did themselves,
and this they inculcated on others, as indispensably necessary
to their salvation. St. Paul elsewhere tells us, that in this
way Abraham was saved6 ; and David was saved f; and all the
world must be savedg. But in no part of Scripture is this
truth more forcibly declared than in the passage before us.
We may contrive to pervert ivords, however plain they be : but
here are facts, which we cannot get over ; and which speak
volumes. Let us learn then not to subject ourselves to similar
reproof, by blending any human works with the merits of
Christ, or using our influence towards the establishment of so
fatal an error. Let us be thankful to God that we have had
reformers, who have ventured to withstand the impositions of
popery, and have, at the expense of their own lives, emanci
pated us from the thraldom in which he who calls himself the
successor of Peter, and boasts of deriving infallibility from him,
had so long held the whole Christian world. And, if there
arise amongst ourselves any who would yet stand forth as
advocates of human merit, let us refer them to the Articles
and Homilies of our own Church ; that, if they believe not the
language of inspiration, they may at least be put to shame
before that Church, which has received those documents as the
acknowledged symbols of her faith11.]
c Gal. i. 6. a ver. 21. * Rom. iv. 1—5. ' Rom. iv. 6—8.
e Rom. iv. 9—14. See also Rom. ix. 30—33. and x. 3, 4.
h See the 10th, llth, and 12th Articles of the Church of England:
and take for a pattern the Apostle Paul. vev. 5.
2056. J PETER REPROVED BY PAUL. 49
2. That no consideration under heaven should lead
us to compromise the truth of God —
[Peter doubtless excused himself in his own mind from
an idea that his dissimulation was, in existing circumstances,
expedient. But expediency, though worthy to be attended to
by every true Christian, and in many instances a proper rule
for his conduct, has no place, except in things that are other
wise indifferent. It can never warrant us to neglect a known
duty, or to commit the smallest sin : for, if it could, Daniel
and the Hebrew Youths might have avoided the snares that
were laid for their feet. Nothing can warrant dissimulation.
What we believe to be true, we must uphold and vindicate :
and what we believe to be right we must do. Neither a de
sire to please, nor a fear of displeasing, must cause us to
swerve an hair's breadth from the path of duty. We must
obey the dictates of our own conscience, and " be faithful
unto death, if ever we would receive a crown of life." We
cannot indeed expect that we shall never err, seeing that
infallibility pertains not to our fallen nature, nor is the lot of
any of the sons of men : but if we err, it must not be through
fear or through favour, but simply through the weakness
incident to man in his present fallen state ; and we must be
especially careful that the error be not in any thing of funda
mental importance. We may in our superstructure "build
hay, or wood, or stubble," and yet ourselves be ultimately
" saved, though it be so as by fire :" but, if we err in the
foundation, we involve ourselves in inevitable and everlasting
ruin1. Let us look to it therefore that we " hold fast the
faith once delivered to the saints." Let nothing be suffered
for one moment to move us from it. Let us bear in mind,
that " other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which
is Jesus Christ." On that let us build, even on that alone,
not uniting any thing with it, or attempting to strengthen it
by any addition of our own. Let us guard against any ap
proximation to this fatal error. Many there are, who, whilst
they would abhor the thought of uniting their own merits with
the merits of Christ, will yet, through a false notion of humi
lity, not venture to trust in Christ, unless they can see some
measure of worthiness in themselves. But this is in reality,
whatever it may be thought, a repetition of Peter's sin ; and
will sooner or later meet with a severe reprehension from our
God. We must go to Christ guilty, that we may be forgiven ;
naked, that we may be clothed ; polluted, that we may be
sanctified : and, when we are most empty in ourselves, then
shall we receive most out of his fulness. We must " know
nothing but Christ and him crucified," and be contented to be
nothing, that he may be " all in all."]
1 1 Cor. iii. 10—15.
VOL. XVII. E
50 GALATIANS, II. 19. [2057.
MMLVII.
TRUE USE OF THE LAW.
Gal. ii. 19. I through the law am dead to the latv, that I might
live unto God.
THE knowledge of the law is indispensably neces
sary to the knowledge of the Gospel. Even persons
who have some views of Christ as a Saviour, have,
in general, a very inadequate idea of the extent to
which we need a Saviour. This can be known only
by considering the requirements of the law, and the
measure of guilt which we have contracted by our
violation of them. In unfolding to us this subject,
the Epistle to the Galatians stands, perhaps, pre
eminent above all others, not excepting even that to
the Romans ; and the words which I have just read
will furnish me with an occasion to submit it some-
W7hat fully to your view.
In these words is declared the use of the law,
I. In relation to our hopes from it —
The law, in the first instance, was ordained unto
life ; and it would have given life to those who per
fectly obeyed it. But to fallen man it is no longer a
covenant of life : it rather destroys all our hopes of
acceptance by our obedience to it ; so that every one
who understands it aright must say with the Apostle,
" I through the law am dead to the law." It pro
duces this effect,
1. By the extent of its precepts —
[If these comprehended nothing beyond the letter, the
generality, of Christians at least, might account themselves,
" as touching the righteousness which is in the law, blame
less." But it extends to every thought and disposition of the
soul. It forbids us to entertain even so much as an inordinate
desire. It does riot say merely, " Thou shalt not steal," but,
" Thou shalt not covet." And our blessed Lord, in his ser
mon on the mount, declares, that an angry feeling is, in God's
estimation, as murder, and an impure look as adultery. Now
then, when " the commandment is so exceeding broad," who
2057.] TRUE USE OF THE LAW. 51
will pretend to have kept it ? or who will build his hopes of
salvation on his obedience to it ? It is manifest, that there is
not a man upon earth who has not, in numberless instances,
violated it ; and who therefore must not shut his mouth with
conscious shame, and acknowledge himself " guilty before
GodV]
2. By the inexorableness of its threatenings—
[For every violation of its commands it denounces a
curse, saying, " Cursed is every one that continueth not in all
things that are written in the book of the law, to do themV
We must not merely wish to do them, but actually do them ;
and not only some, but all ; and that not for a season only, but
continually, without interruption from first to last : and in
default of this, every one, even every child of Adam, is cursed,
even with an everlasting curse. As for any lighter penalty
than this, it knows of none : it admits of no relaxation of it,
no mitigation whatever : so that, of all that are under the
law, there is not so much as one that is not under the curse
and wrath of God. To hope for salvation, therefore, from
such a law as this, is quite out of the question. A man in
the contemplation of these threatenings can do nothing but
lie down in despair, even as Paul himself did : for though,
previously to his understanding the true tenour of the law, he
supposed himself to be alive, he no sooner saw the extent of
its commands, and the awfulness of its sanctions, than " he
died," and became sensible that he was nothing but a dead,
condemned sinner before Godc.]
3. By its incapacity to afford us any remedy what
ever —
[When it requires obedience, it does not offer us any
strength for the performance of it : nor, when we have vio
lated it in any respect, does it speak one word about repent
ance : nor does it make known to us any way whereby pardon
may be obtained. The only thing which it says to any man
is, " Do this, and live : offend, and die." What hope, then,
can any man entertain of salvation by such a law as this? It
precludes a possibility of hope to any child of man : so that
we must be dead to the law, not merely because the Gospel
requires it, but because it is the very intent of the law itself
to make us so : " Through the law itself we must become dead
to the law."]
We must not, however, imagine that all observance
of the law is unnecessary : for the very reverse will
appear, whilst we consider the law,
a Rom. iii. 19. b Gal. iii. 10. c Rom. vii. 9.
5^ GALATIANS, II. 19. [2057.
II. In relation to our obedience to it —
As a covenant of works, the law doubtless is set
aside : but as a rule of life, it is as much in force as
ever : and, though delivered from its curse, we are
bound as much as ever to obey it :
1. From a sense of gratitude—
[Will a man delivered from the law say, " I will conti
nue in sin, that grace may abound?" No: if upright, we
shall shudder at the thought. " We have not so learned
Christ, if we have been taught of him." On the contrary, the
first dictate of our minds will be, " What shall I render to the
Lord for all his benefits towards me ?" The love of Christ, in
redeeming us from the law, will have a constraining influence
upon us, and stimulate us to live to him who died for usd.
No other end than this did the Apostle Paul contemplate.
He was not dead to the law, that he might live to the world,
but " that he might live unto GWe:" and to God will every one
live, who has a just sense of his mercy in giving us a better
covenant, wherein we are called, not to earn life by our
works, but to receive it as a gift in and through the Lord
Jesus Christ.]
2. From a sense of duty —
[The law is still, and ever must be, the one standard of
holiness to which we are to be conformed : and our obligation
to obey it can never be reversed. God himself, if I may so
speak, cannot dispense with our observance of it. It is of
necessity our duty to love God with all our heart and mind
and soul and strength, and our neighbour as ourselves. Our
having a better covenant to found our hopes upon, can never
abrogate the essential laws of our nature. If we be in heaven,
earth, or hell, love must be our duty : and every man feels it
to be his duty to walk according to that unerring and unchang
ing rule. Our freedom from the law, so far from being a
reason for disregarding this rule, is the strongest reason for
our most diligent adherence to it. St. Paul, by means of an
easy illustration, places this matter in a clear light. He
supposes us, in the first instance, married to the law ; and
afterwards, on the death of our husband, married to a second
husband, the Lord Jesus Christ. But are we then content to
be barren, as to the fruits of righteousness ? No ; quite the
contrary : " Being dead to the law, we are married to another,
even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring
forth fruit unto God. We are delivered from the law, that
d 2 Cor. v. 14, 15. ° Rom. xii. 1,
2057.] TRUE USE OF THE LAW. 5$
being dead wherein we were held, that we should serve in
newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letterV Our
obligation to obedience, so far from being relaxed by that
change, is strongly and unalterably confirmed.]
3. From a sense of interest—
[Though we can never hope to be justified by our obe
dience to the law, our reward in heaven will be proportioned
to our obedience. The day of judgment is appointed for the
express purpose of manifesting the righteousness of God in all
his dispensations. And, in reference to our obedience, we
may safely say, " He that soweth plenteously shall reap plen-
teously ; and he that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly."
Now, the expectation of this issue remains with every man,
whatever be his hopes in reference to his first acceptance with
God. But with him who has trembled for his lost estate, and
has fled for refuge to Christ as to the hope set before him in
the Gospel, there will be an ardour of desire to secure a testi
mony in his favour. He will not be content to leave any
thing in doubt. He is well assured, that " not the person
who merely says to his Saviour, Lord, Lord, shall inherit the
kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of his Father
that is in heaven." Having therefore this prospect, he will of
necessity say, " What manner of person ought I to be, in all
holy conversation and godliness !"]
The subject, as you see, lies deep : yet is it very
important. To all then I would say, respecting
the law, ENDEAVOUR,
1. To understand its nature—
[The generality regard it solely as a system of restraints
and precepts. But, in truth, it is a covenant of life and
death : of life to man in innocence ; and of death, if I may
so speak, to fallen man. It is now given, not to justify, but to
condemn : not to save, but to kill ; not to be a ground of hope
to any, but " to shut men up to the Gospel," and to Christ
as revealed in it", even to him who is " the end of the law for
righteousness to every one that believethV I would to God
that this matter were better understood. In fact, it is but
rarely stated, even by those who, in the main, preach the
Gospel : and it is owing to this that men's views of the
Gospel are so very inadequate and superficial. But let me
entreat of you to improve the instruction given you in relation
to this matter. See that the law does nothing but curse you,
yea, deservedly, and eternally curse you. See that the new
f Rom. vii. 4, 6. s Gal. iii. 23. h Rom. x. 4.
34 GALATIANS, II. 20. [2058.
covenant, that has been made with us in Christ Jesus, is our
proper refuge, that we may flee to it, and lay hold upon it, and
find acceptance by it : and let this covenant be all your salva
tion and all your desire.]
2. To fulfil its purposes —
[It was intended, as we have said, to drive you to Christ.
Let it operate in this manner. Look not to it, for a single
moment, as affording you any hope towards God. Be content
to renounce, in point of dependence, your best actions, as
much as your vilest sins : and look to Christ precisely as the
wounded Israelites did to the brazen serpent in the wilderness.
They did not attempt to combine with God's appointment any
prescriptions of their own ; but simply turned their eyes to
that object, in faith. I pray you to bear this in mind, and to
imitate their conduct in this respect. Fear not respecting the
interests of holiness : they are well provided for in this blessed
ordinance : and the more dead you are to the law, the more, I
pledge myself, you will live unto your God.]
3. To honour its requirements—
[The world will have a jealousy on this head : they will
always suppose, that if you do not seek for justification by the
law, you have no motive for obeying it. Shew them how
greatly they err in this respect. Indeed, they stand in this
respect self-condemned : for at the moment that they com
plain of your sentiments as licentious, they find fault with your
lives as too strict and holy. You are regarded by them as
" righteous over-much ;" and as making the way to heaven so
strait, that none but yourselves can walk in it. This is as it
should be ; I mean, as far as it respects you ; for it is in this
way that you are to "make your light shine before men," and
to (l put to silence the ignorance of foolish men by well-doing."]
MMLVIII.
THE CHRISTIAN CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST.
Gal. ii. 20. 7 am crucified with Christ : nevertheless I live ;
yet not I, but Christ liveth in me : and the life which I now
live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who
loved me, and gave himself for me.
THE Gospel is, for the most part, plain and sim
ple : yet are there some things in it which seem dark
and contradictory. In one place St. Paul brings for
ward a long list of paradoxes,, which to a superficial
2058.] THE CHRISTIAN CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST. 55
reader would appear absurd in the extreme a: but
in all the sacred records there is not one so difficult
of solution as that in our textb. The Apostle is
speaking on the subject of justification by faith alone,
without the works of the law : and he mentions, that
he had publicly reproved Peter for sanctioning by
his example the idea that the observation of the law
was still necessary. He says, that the law itself
sufficiently shewed us the necessity of abandoning all
hopes from that, and of seeking justification by faith
in Christ alone : and then adds, that, in consequence
of what Christ had done and suffered to deliver us
from the law as a covenant of works, he considered
himself as one dead to the law, and as having all his
life and all his hopes in Christ alone. This is the
plain import of the passage as divested of its para
doxical appearance. But as the paradox, when ex
plained, will be very instructive, we shall enter into
a fuller consideration of it ; and shew,
I. In what respect the Christian is dead —
To understand in what sense the Apostle was
" crucified with Christ," we must particularly attend
to the great ends for which Christ was crucified.
Now Christ was crucified, in the first place, in order
to satisfy all the demands of the law. The law re
quired perfect obedience, and denounced a curse
against every transgression of its precepts0. Man,
therefore, having transgressed the law, was utterly,
and eternally, ruined. But Christ having undertaken
a 2 Cor. vi. 8—10.
b The difficulty of this passage seems needlessly increased in our
translation. The second clause of the text stands thus ; £o> £t OVK
ert iyw' and it might be translated, " I am crucified with Christ ; and
I am alive no more." The opposite truth then comes naturally ; " I
am alive no more ; but Christ liveth in me." The very position of
the words in this antithesis seems to mark the propriety of this trans
lation ; £tD CE OVK ITI tyw* £rj £e tv ipol XptaroQ. But hy putting a
stop after £w £e, we make a double paradox, instead of a single one.
The sense, however, is much the same, whichever way the passage is
translated : but one would wish rather to lessen, than increase, its un
avoidable obscurity.
<; Gal. iii. 10.
S6 GALATIANS, II. 20. [2058.
to restore him to the Divine favour, endured the
curse which we had merited, and obeyed the pre
cepts which we had violated : and thus rendered our
salvation perfectly compatible with the honour of the
Divine law ; inasmuch as what we have failed to do
or suffer in our own persons, we have done and suf
fered in our Surety. But Christ had a further end in
submitting to crucifixion, namely, to destroy sin, and,
by expiating its guilt, for ever to annul its power.
This is frequently declared in Scripture, not only as
the immediate end of his death d, but as the end of
the whole dispensation which he has introduced6.
Now when St. Paul says, " I am crucified with
Christ," we must understand, that there zvas something
in his experience analogous to the crucifixion of Christ;
or, in other words, that as Christ died a violent death,
to cancel the obligations of the law as a covenant,
and to destroy sin, so the Apostle, by a holy violence
upon himself, died to the law as a covenant, and to sin
as the most hateful of all evils.
The believer then, according to this view of the
subject, is dead,
1 . To the law—
[Once all his hopes were founded on his obedience to the
moral law ; and he felt in his conscience a dread of God's wrath
on account of his transgressions of its precepts. But now he
abandons all his self-righteous hopes, and dismisses all his
slavish fears, because he finds a better, yea, an assured, ground
of hope in Christ's obedience unto death. He argues thus :
' Does the law curse me for my manifold transgressions ?
Christ has endured its curse for me, and therefore I have no
reason to fear itf: " there is no condemnation to me, if only I
am in Christ Jesus g." On the other hand, does the law require
perfect unsinning obedience in order to my justification before
God? Christ has paid it that obedience, and " brought in
thereby an everlasting righteousness11," " which is unto all,
and upon all them that believe1." I renounce therefore all
hope in my own obedience, and found all my hopes of
d Tit. ii. 14. 2 Cor. v. 15. c Rom. xiv. 9. Tit. ii. 12, 13.
f Gal. iii. 13. s Rom. viii. 1.
h Dan. ix. 24. [ Rom. iii. 22.
2058.] THE CHRISTIAN CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST. 57
salvation on the obedience of my blessed Lord and Saviour
Jesus ChristV
To this state he is brought, partly by the law itself, which
cuts him off from all possible hope from his own obedience to
it1, and partly by the death of Christ, which has totally
cancelled the law, as a covenant, for all those who believe in
him : so that, as a woman is released from all obligation to her
husband when he is dead, and may, if she please, unite herself
to another ; so the believer ceases to have any connexion with
the law of God, now that it is cancelled by Christ™: the law is
dead to him ; or, to use the language of our text, he is crucified
to it.]
2. To sin-
[The believer, previous to his conversion, had no wish
beyond the things of time and sense. He " walked according
to the course of this world," "fulfilling the desires of the flesh
and of the mind." He possibly might be pure from gross acts
of sin ; but all his actions, of whatever kind they were, sprang
from self, and terminated in self: self-seeking, and self-pleasing,
constituted the sum total of his life. He possessed no higher
principle than self; the stream therefore could rise no higher
than the fountain-head. But now he feels the influence of
nobler principles, and determines to " live no longer to the
lusts of men, but to the will of God. The time past suffices to
have wrought his own will":" and henceforth he desires to
have, not only every action, but " every thought, brought into
captivity to the obedience of Christ0." He now " crucifies the
flesh with the affections and lusts1'." They form what the
Scriptures call " the old man ;" and this " old man is crucified
with Christ, that the body of sin may be destroyed, that hence
forth he should not serve sinq." Even the things that are
innocent, are yet among the number of those things to which
the believer is crucified. He enjoys them indeed ; (for " God
has given him all things richly to enjoy ;") but he will not be
in bondage to them ; he will not serve them ; he will not regard
them as constituting his happiness, no, nor as essential to his
happiness: if he possess (as he may very innocently do) the plea
sures, the riches, or the honours of the world, he does not set
his affections upon them ; he regards them rather with a holy
jealousy, lest they should ensnare him, and alienate his heart
k Phil. iii. 9. Rom. v. 19. 2 Cor. v. 21.
1 ver. 19. with Gal. iii. 24. m Rom. vii. 1 — 4.
" 1 Pet. iv. 2, 3. ° 2 Cor. x. 5.
P Gal. v. 24. This is spoken of all true Christians without ex
ception.
i Rom. vi. 6.
58 GALATIANS, II. 20. [2058.
from God: he sits loose to them; and is willing to part with them
at any moment, and in any manner, that his Lord shall call for
them : in short, he regards the world, and every thing in it, as a
crucified object, which once indeed was dear to him, but which
he is now willing, if need be, to have buried out of his sight.
He makes a conscience of fulfilling all his duties in the world,
as much, or more than ever : but since he has learned how to
appreciate the cross of Christ, " the world has become crucified
unto him, and he unto the world1." Whatever is positively
sinful in it, (however dear it once was to him,) is renounced
and mortified8; and even the most innocent things in it have
comparatively lost all their value, and all their relish. His
delight in heavenly things has rendered inferior things insipid ;
and his joy in God has eclipsed all sublunary joy.]
Nevertheless, the Christian lives : and to shew the
truth of the paradox, we proceed to state,
II. In what manner he lives —
That he has the same life as the unregenerate, is
obvious enough : but he has also a life different from
theirs ; and his whole manner of life is different from
theirs : he lives a new life in, and through, Christ: he
lives,
1. By the influences of his Spirit —
[He once was " dead in trespasses and sins :" but that
same voice which bade Lazarus to come forth out of the grave,
has bidden him live. The Lord Jesus has infused into his
soul a new and living principle ; and has " given him that
living water, which is in his soul a well of water springing up
unto everlasting life." " Christ himself liveth in him," and
" is his very life*." This accounts for his being able to do
things which no other man can. In himself, he is weak as
other men; he cannot perform a good actu, or speak a good
wordx, or think a good thought5"; but by the almighty ope
ration of Christ within him he can do all things2. Being dead
with Christ (as has been before shewn), he is risen and lives
with him; according as it is written, " Christ being raised from
the dead, dieth no more ; death hath no more dominion over
him : for in that he died, he died unto sin once ; but in that he
liveth, he liveth unto God : likewise reckon ye also yourselves
to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus
Christ our LordV]
r Gal. vi. 14. s Mark ix. 43—48. * Col. iii. 4.
u John xv. 5. x Matt. xii. 34. y 2 Cor. iii. 5.
* Phil. iv. 13. a Rom. vi. 9—11.
2058.] THE CHRISTIAN CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST. 59
2. In dependence on his sacrifice—
[The atonement of Christ is the one ground of all the
Christian's hopes. If he look for reconciliation with God, it
is through the blood of the Redeemer's cross : if for peace,
for strength, for any blessing whatsoever, he has no other plea
than this ; " My Lord and Saviour has bought it for me with
his blood." He views every thing treasured up for him in
Christb: and to him he goes, in order to " receive out of his
fulness" whatsoever his necessities require0. His whole life is
" a life of faith on the Son of God." He never goes to God
but in, and through, Christ : he never expects any blessing to
flow down upon him, but for the sake of Christ, and through
him, as the immediate channel of conveyance. The very life
which he receives from Christ, he considers as purchased for
him by Christ's obedience unto death : and on that very ground
he presumes to " make Christ his wisdom, his righteousness,
his sanctification, and his complete redemption."]
3. Under a sense of his love —
[The Christian is not contented with acknowledging the
love of Christ to mankind in general ; he views it especially as
it respects himself; and delights in contemplating his own
personal obligations to him. O how wonderful does it appear,
that Christ should ever love such a one as him, and give himself
for him ! That for such a wretch as him, he should submit to
all the shame and agonies of crucifixion ! What incomprehen
sible breadths and lengths and depths and heights does he
behold in this stupendous mystery ! And what unsearchable
riches does he seem to possess in this blessed assurance ! It is
this that animates him, this that " constrains him." Had he
a thousand lives, he would dedicate them all to his service, and
lay them down for his honour. And though he cannot per
haps at all times say, " My beloved is mine, and I am his," yet
the most distant hope of such a mercy fills his soul with "joy
unspeakable and glorified."]
ADDRESS —
1. Those who object to the Gospel —
[Many there are, who, when we speak of being dead to
the law, imagine that we are enemies to good works, and that
the Gospel which we preach tends to licentiousness. I't is
true, we do say, (and we speak only what the Scriptures
speak,) that though the law is still in force as a rule of duty,
we are free from it as a covenant of works ; and that in conse
quence of being free from it, the believer has neither hopes
b Col. i. 19. « Johni. 16.
60 GALATIANS, II. 20. [2058.
nor fears arising from it. But are we therefore regardless of
the interests of morality? Does not the Apostle himself say,
that " he, through the law, was dead to the law ?" Yet what
does he conclude from this? That he might live as he pleased?
No: he was, " dead to the law, that he might live unto God."
And then he repeats the same important truth ; " I am cruci
fied with Christ :" and again guards it against any similar
misrepresentation, by shewing that the believer has a strength
for obedience which no other person possesses, and motives for
obedience which no other person feels. Let these two things
be considered, and it will appear, that the Gospel, so far from
militating against good works, is the only doctrine that secures
the performance of them.
If this argument be not satisfactory, we ask the objector,
What are those good works in which the declaimer about
morality excels the believer ? Yea, we ask, Whether they who
renounce all dependence on their good works, be not the very
people who are universally censured on account of the strict
ness and holiness of their lives? Away then with your objec
tions ; and know, that if the Gospel be excellent as a system, it
is yet more excellent as advancing the interests of morality.]
2. Those who profess the Gospel—
[Religion consists not in the adoption of any creed, but
in a radical change both of heart and life. The words before
us sufficiently shew, that it is a matter of experience, and not
of mere talk and profession. Hear the Apostle : "I am
crucified with Christ;" " I live ;" " Christ liveth in me ;" " I
live by faith ;" " I live by faith of the Son of God, who loved
me, and gave himself for me." All this has its seat, not in
the head, but in the heart. Know therefore that, in order to
ascertain the real state of your souls, you must inquire, not
what principles you have imbibed, but how they operate ;
and whether in these respects you resemble this holy Apostle ?
Beloved, we entreat and charge you in the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ, not to deceive yourselves with respect to this
matter. To form a just estimate of your state, you must ex
amine whether you be really dead to the law, and dead to sin ;
and whether, by the almighty operation of the Spirit of God
within you, you are enabled to live to the glory of our
blessed Lord and Saviour? These are the true tests of vital
religion ; and, according as your experience accords with
them or not, your state will ultimately be determined at the
judgment-seat of Christ.]
3. Those who obey the Gospel-
fit appears to others, and may sometimes even to our
selves, a painful thing to experience a continual crucifixion.
2059.] DEPARTING FROM THE SIMPLE GOSPEL. Gl
I confess, that the right eye being plucked out, and the right
hand cut off, does imply a considerable degree of pain and
self-denial. But we would ask, whether, in those seasons
when the in-dwelling operation of Christ is plainly felt, and
his unspeakable love in giving himself for you is distinctly seen,
the exercise of self-denial be not both easy and pleasant ? We
ask, whether the joy arising from these discoveries do not far
more than counterbalance any joy which you may be supposed
to lose by abstaining from the gratifications of flesh and blood ?
We are sure that no difference of opinion can exist respecting
these things, among those whose experience qualifies them to
form a just judgment about them. We therefore hesitate not
to say, " Be ye more and more crucified to the world and to
sin :" " Live more and more by faith on the Son of God :" and
let a sense of your personal obligations to him lead you to a
more entire devotedness of yourselves to his service, till you
are taken to serve him without ceasing in the world above.]
MMLIX.
DEPARTING FROM THE SIMPLE GOSPEL.
Gal. iii. 1. O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that
ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ
hath been evidently set forth., crucified among you ?
THE method of a sinner's justification is plainly
revealed in the Gospel : nor is any doctrine more
worthy of attention. An error with respect to many
other points may consist with our salvation, but to
err in this, is to destroy all hope of acceptance.
Hence St. Paul devotes even an angel from heaven to
a curse, if it could be supposed that one should be
found who would introduce a gospel different from
that which he himself had preached. Unhappily,
however, the Galatians had been misled. The
Apostle writes this epistle in order to reclaim them :
he tells them that he had reproved even Peter himself,
and that, too, before the whole Church at Antioch,
for dissembling the truth a. He then proceeds to
reprove their declension also.
We shall consider,
a (-al. ii. 13, 14.
62 GALATIANS, III. 1. [2059.
I. Wherein their disobedience to the truth consisted—
The Galatians had formerly (t received the truth in
the love of it"-
[They had entertained the highest respect for him who
first evangelized themb; they had been knit to him with the
most cordial aifectionc ; they had found much blessedness by
means of the Gospel d ; they had received miraculous powers
in confirmation of the worde ; they had been enabled to adorn
their profession by a suitable life and conversation f ; they had
even endured many sufferings for their attachment to the
truths]
But they had lately imbibed the doctrines of some
Judaizing teachers —
[Many of the Jewish converts were still zealous for the
law of Moses : hence they laboured to make proselytes where-
ever they came. Many of the Galatian churches were induced
to embrace their doctrines : hence, though Gentiles originally,
they put themselves under the yoke of the Jewish lawh.]
Thus they, in fact, " disobeyed and renounced the
truth" itself—
[They had been taught to expect justification by faith in
Christ1, but now they superadded an obedience to the law as
a joint ground of hope : by this they declared that faith in
Christ was insufficient for their justification. They did not
indeed intend by this to reject Christ entirely ; but the
Apostle tells them repeatedly that God considered their con
duct as equivalent to an utter rejection of the Gospel k: and
hence he warns them, that they were turned altogether to
" another Gospel1."]
Their defection therefore involved them in the
deepest guilt ; as will appear more fully, if we consider,
II. The particular aggravation with which it was
attended —
St. Paul himself had preached among them in a
most lively and affecting manner—
[Wherever he went, his constant subject was Christ
crucified"1 : he fully opened to his hearers the nature and
*> Gal. iv. 14. c Gal. iv. 15. d Gal. iv. 15.
« Gal. iii. 2. f Gal. v. 7. e Gal. iii. 4.
h Gal. iv. 8—10. i Gal. ii. 16.
k Gal. ii. 21. and v. 2—4. ] Gal. i. 6.
™ 1 Cor. ii. 2.
2059.] DEPARTING FROM THE SIMPLE GOSPEL. 63
ends of Christ's death : he always declared the efficacy of it
as an atonement for sin : he earnestly exhorted all to trust in
it for their acceptance with God : he had dwelt so much, and
in so affecting a manner, on this subject, that the crucifixion
of Christ might be said to have been depicted, or even ex
hibited before their eyes.]
This was a great aggravation of their guilt in de
parting from the faith—
[Had they heard less of Christ, they had been less cul
pable ; had they heard of him in a less affecting manner, they
had not been without a plea ; had they seen no particular
effects flowing from the Apostle's preaching, they might have
had some excuse ; had the subserviency of the law to the
Gospel never been opened to them, their defection from the
truth might have been accounted for : but to renounce the
truth, after it had been set forth with such energy, and
attended with such effects, was extreme folly and wickedness:
their conduct was no less than a crucifying of Christ afresh".]
What animadversion their disobedience merited we
may see in,
III. The reproof which the Apostle gave them on
account of it —
St. Paul ascribes their declension to the subtlety
of their false teachers—
[Sin has an astonishingly fascinating power0. Error,
whether in faith or practice, soon insinuates itself into our
hearts. Whenever people are drawn from the truth, they are
first beguiled by the specious appearances of false principles.
Apostates therefore may be justly considered as deluded crea
tures; and if at any time they be recovered, they wronder at
themselves how they ever could have been so " bewitched," so
blinded, so befooled.]
Nevertheless he deservedly censures their com
pliance with them—
[He was far from indulging a contemptuous or vindictive
spirit, yet he judged it his duty to "rebuke them sharply:"
he therefore spoke of their conduct with holy indignation : he
expressed his wonder that they could be so soon turned -from
the truth? : he seems at a loss to represent their folly in terms
sufficiently humiliating; yet his question evidently imports
n Heh. vi. 6. ° This seems the exact import of the original.
P Gal. i. 6.
64 GALATIANS, III. 8, 9. [2060.
also a mixture of pity : he felt deeply in his soul for their
spiritual welfare 1 ; he therefore expostulated with them in
order to reclaim them.]
INFERENCES—
1. How great is the evil and danger of self-right
eousness !
[The Galatians intended to honour God's own institu
tions; but by laying an undue stress upon them they en
dangered their own salvation. How careful then should we
be not to trust in any righteousness of our own ! Let us
remember in what light our own righteousness should be
viewed1" — let us bear in mind our Saviour's direction8 — let. us
cultivate the disposition of the great Apostle * — ]
2. What need have even the most eminent Chris
tians to watch against apostasy !
[The attainments of the Galatians seemed to be very
eminent: yet they were soon seduced from the simplicity of
the Gospel. Who then are we, that we should be over confi
dent? Our dearest friends may well regard us as Paul did
the Christians at Corinth11. Let us attend then to the advice
which he gives usx — nor let us despise that salutary admoni
tion of St. Peter y—]
3. What cause of thankfulness have they who are
kept steadfast in the truth !
[They who know their own instability will wonder that
they are kept at all. Surely such will adopt the grateful
acknowledgment of David2 — and these are the persons in
whom that declaration shall be verified3 — We conclude with
that suitable doxologyb — ]
Q Gal. iv. 19.
4 Phil. iii. 9.
y 2 Pet. iii. 17.
b Jude, ver. 24, 25.
r Isai. Ixiv. 6.
u 2 Cor. xi. 3.
z Ps. xxvi. 12.
8 Luke xvii. 10.
x 1 Cor. x. 12.
a 1 Pet. i. 5.
MMLX.
THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO ABRAHAM.
Gal. iii. 8) 9. The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify
the heathen through faith, preached before the Gospel unto
Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then
they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
2060.] THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO ABRAHAM. 65
THE point which St. Paul above all things labours
to establish, especially in his Epistles to the Romans
and the Galatians, is the doctrine of justification by
faith alone. The Jews universally were adverse to
this doctrine, because it derogated, as they thought,
from the honour of their law. And the Gentiles also
were hostile to it, because it cut off from them all
occasion of boasting in themselves. But the more
the unbelieving wcrld set themselves against it, the
more this holy Apostle strove to place it beyond all
contradiction or doubt. And well he might, since
on the reception or rejection of it depends the ever
lasting salvation of every child of man. Let it not
therefore be deemed superfluous, if on a point of
such infinite importance we follow him, and bring it
before you in a variety of views. If we have already
received it, we still need to be confirmed in it from
time to time, lest by any means we be drawn aside
from it. There is something " bewitching" in the
idea of meriting salvation at the hands of God ; and
we are but too apt to listen to any statement which
shall so flatter the pride of our hearts. Many con
verts belonging to the Churches of Galatia, after
having been for a time established in the truth, were
at last turned aside from it ; and drew from the
Apostle this spirited remonstrance ; " O foolish Ga-
latians, who hath bewitched you?" He appeals to
them, that the miracles which he had wrought among
them, as also the miraculous powers which they had
received through his instrumentality, were all in con
firmation of this doctrine; by which, in fact, Abraham
himself had been saved ; and by which alone they
could ever be partakers of Abraham's felicity. This,
he tells them, was the unvaried testimony of Scrip
ture ; and it had been declared two thousand years
before to Abraham, in those most memorable words,
" In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be
blessed."
In discoursing on these words, we will shew,
I. What was that Gospel which the Scripture preached
to Abraham —
VOL. XVII. F
66 GALATIANS, III. 8,9. [2060.
Abraham was informed, that " in his seed all the
nations of the earth should be blessed"—
[This was repeatedly declared to him, and at an interval
of nearly fifty years a. The full import of this promise was
not clearly revealed in the declaration itself; but it was
doubtless made known to him by the Spirit of God, and was
typically represented to him in the sacrifice of his son Isaac.
By the command of God, he took his own son, the child of
promise, in order to offer him up as a burnt-offering to the
Lord. On this his son he laid the wood which was to reduce
him to ashes ; he led him to Mount Moriah (the very place
where the Promised Seed, the Lord Jesus Christ, was after
wards offered) ; he bound him, and, in purpose and intention,
offered him up a sacrifice to God : and then, having actually
offered up the ram which God had substituted in the place of
Isaac, he received his son as from the deadb: and thus was
taught, that, by the death and resurrection of the Promised
Seed, the blessings of salvation were to be brought to a ruined
world. Such was the view given him of this great mystery ;
and by his faith in the Promised Seed so " dying for our
offences, and so raised again for our justification," he was jus
tified, as all his believing posterity shall also bec.
Here it is particularly to be remembered, that the law bore
no part in his justification ; for it was not given till four hun
dred and thirty years after the promise of a Saviour had been
made to him, and by faith in that promised Saviour he had
been justified. It must be remembered also, that circumcision
bore no part in his justification ; for no less than twenty-four
years elapsed between the period of his being justified by
faith, and the appointment of that rite d. It is of the utmost
importance that these things be borne in mind : for, if we once
admit the idea of his being either in whole or in part justified
by any thing but faith, we shall subvert the Gospel altogether ;
seeing that there is but one method of a sinner's justification
before God for him and for use. True it is, that before men
he was justified by his obedience, as St. James has truly saidf :
for it was by the fruits which his faith produced, that it was
seen to be a living, and not a dead, faith : but in the sight of
God he had nothing of his own whereon to place the least
dependence : it was by faith only, without any work whatever
of his own, that he was counted righteous before God: and,
if it had not been so, his salvation had been, not a gift of
a Gen. xii. 3. and xviii. 18. and xxii. 18.
b Heb. xi. 17—19. c Rom. iv. 22—25.
d Compare Gen. xii. 3, 4. with Gen. xvii. 1, 7, 10, 23, 24.
c See Rom. iv. 9— H. f Jam. ii. 21—23.
2060. J THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO ABRAHAM. 67
grace, but a reward of debt, to which he was entitled, and in
which he would to all eternity have had a ground of glorying
before God*.]
In this promise " the Gospel was preached to
him"-
[This way of salvation is emphatically and exclusively
called " the Gospel." It was glad tidings to Abraham, when
taken out of an idolatrous state, and ignorant of any means of
acceptance with God, to be informed, that God had provided
a Saviour for him ; and that, through a person who should
descend from his loins, a righteousness should be brought in,
fully adequate to the necessities of the whole world, and cer
tainly effectual for all who should believe in him. To that
event he looked forward; and, beholding it by faith, he greatly
rejoiced in ith. And this is glad tidings to us also : for where
should we find a Saviour, if this promised Seed had not been
given ? Or what hope should we have had of ultimate salva
tion, if we had been required to earn it in any measure by our
own works? Were it required of us to produce only one
single work on which to rest our claim of heaven, where should
we find one ? But, blessed be God, we are taught to rely on
the Promised Seed, and on him alone: and it is this very cir
cumstance which warrants us to expect eternal happiness ;
since, unworthy as we are, the free promise of God, duly appre
hended by faith, can never fail of its accomplishment1.]
Such was the Gospel which the Scripture preached
to Abraham : nor does it differ at all from,,
II. What it preaches unto us also—
It declares to us,
1. That this is the way which God has ordained
for us also—
[" The Scripture," that is, the Holy Spirit who spake by
it, " foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through
faith, preached this Gospel to Abraham." There was not to
be one way of salvation for him, and another for us ; but one
and the same for both. And as God foresaw that men would
be ready to catch hold of any thing that might afford in ever
so slight a degree a ground of glorying, he took care to cut off
all occasion for glorying, by justifying Abraham solely through
faith, whilst yet he remained in an uncircumcised state : thus
shewing to the uncircumcised of all nations, that, in relation
to the great matter of their justification before God, they were
e Rom. iv. 1 — 5. h John viii. 56. ' Rom. iv. 16.
T7 9.
68 GALATIANS, III. 8,9. [2060.
on a perfect equality with the circumcised ; and that, as faith
alone was available for Abraham's salvation, so it would avail
for the salvation of all who truly relied upon the Promised
Seedk. True it is, we are to " walk in the steps of our father
Abraham," and not to imagine that we can be saved by a dead
inoperative faith1 : but still it is by faith only that we become
children of Abraham, and by faith only that we become par
takers of his blessings™: if we seek these benefits in any
other way, " we frustrate the grace of God, and cause the
death of Christ to be in vainn." In the very same promise
then that the Gospel was preached to Abraham, it is preached
to us : to every one of us it is said, " In the Promised Seed
shalt thou be blessed." And with this agrees the testimony
of St. Paul, who, specifying distinctly all the great blessings
which the Gospel offers to us, tells us, about nine times
in eleven verses, that it is all " in Christ," " in Christ," " in
Christ0."]
2. That all who embrace it shall be partakers of
its blessings—
[There is no exception whatever; no difference between
Jews and Gentiles : if only we " be of faith, we are from that
moment blessed with all the blessings which Abraham himself
enjoyed." Was he justified ? So shall we be. Was he made
" the friend of God ?" So shall we be. Was God to him
" a shield, an exceeding great reward ?" Such will he be to
us also. Is Abraham now "in the kingdom of his God? We
also shall, with him and Isaac and Jacob, sit down there," yea,
and shall be " in Abraham's bosom " to all eternity. All this,
and infinitely more than we can either utter or conceive, shall
we receive, if we truly believe in Christ : for " all things are
ours, if we be Christ's p."]
From hence we may SEE,
1. The antiquity of the Gospel —
[In every age the doctrine of justification by faith only is
stigmatized as a new doctrine : it is very generally represented
as such amongst ourselves : and so it was by the Papists at the
time of the Reformation : in the apostolic age it was regarded
in the same light. When " St. Paul preached Jesus and the
resurrection, it was asked, what this new doctrine meant q."
But it is as old as Abraham, to whom it was distinctly
preached : yea, it must be traced to the time of Adam ; for to
him also was it preached, when he was told that " the Seed of
k Rom. iii. 30. ] Rom. iv. 12. with Jam. ii. 20, 24, 26.
m vcr. 7, 9. n Gal. ii. 21. ° Eph. i. 3—13.
P 1 Cor. iii. 22, 23. 1 Acts xvii. 18, 19.
2060.1 THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO ABRAHAM. 69
the woman should bruise the serpent's head." That persons
who have the Scriptures in their hands should speak of this as
a new doctrine, is perfectly surprising; since it is written in
every page of the sacred volume as with a sun-beam : but that
a member of the Established Church should be so ignorant, is
yet more astonishing : since it is that essential and fundamental
doctrine on which the very edifice of our Church is built.
Let not any therefore reject this doctrine ; or at least let them
not call themselves members of the Church of England, if they
do. The way of justification by faith is " the good old way,"
in which all the saints of God have gone from the foundation
of the world ; and it is the only way in which any man can
" find rest unto his soul."]
2. The excellency of the Gospel—
[The idea of being saved by faith only, is so simple, that
the world can see no excellency in it: but this very simplicity
constitutes a very distinguished part of its excellency. Sup
posing that salvation had been by works, or by faith and works
united, who would ever have been able to ascertain what
measure of good works would suffice for us, or what measure
of imperfection would consist with their ultimate acceptance ?
Verily, under such uncertainty, no human being could enjoy
one hour's peace in the prospect of his great account: but
when we are told that salvation is by faith only, then, whatever
our works may have been in times past, we have peace in our
souls the very instant we believe ; because we know that
Christ is " able to save to the uttermost all who come unto
God by him :" we know that " by faith we are Abraham's
children ;" and that " all the blessings of Abraham ARE ours,"
and shall be ours for ever1.
But the excellency of the Gospel appears no less in the
fruits that it produces. Abraham was justified the first moment
he believed. And did he on that account become indifferent
to good works? See his conduct: he immediately went forth
from his family and country at the command of God, though
he knew not whither he was to go. In every place where he
went, he built an altar to his God : and, even when called to
sacrifice with his own hands his beloved Isaac, he hesitated
not, but for three successive days prosecuted his journey to the
place where the offering was to be made, and executed with
out reluctance the Divine command. So shall we do, if we
truly believe in Christ. There will be no reserves in our
hearts ; nothing which we will not do, nothing which we will
not sacrifice, nothing which we will not suffer, if only our God
may be glorified thereby. Let the world produce a list of
ver.
70 GALATIANS, III. 10. [2061.
worthies like those recorded in the Epistle to the Hebrews, or
like the holy Apostles, and shew that they were actuated by
a different principle from that of faith in Christ, and then will
we confess that the Gospel is not so excellent as it is said to
be : but till that is done, we must affirm, that in point of
practical efficacy it has no rival ; and that in comparison of it
the whole world is only as dung and dross.]
MMLXI.
THE SPIRITUALITY AND SANCTIONS OF THE LAW.
Gal. iii. 10. As many as are of the ivorks of the law are under
the curse : for it is written. Cursed is every one that con-
tinueth not in all things which are written in the book of the
law to do them.
THE reason that Christianity is so little under
stood, is, that men are not aware of the occasion
which there is for such a dispensation as the Gospel
contains. They know not the state in which they
are by nature ; and therefore they cannot compre
hend the provision made for their recovery from it by
grace. If the generality of Christians were asked
what God requires of them in his law,, or what is
now the proper use of the law, they would be able
to give, at best, a very imperfect, and probably a
very erroneous, account of these things. But it is
of the utmost importance that we should understand
the law : for, till we do, we can never understand
the Gospel.
Now, in the words which we have read, we see,
I. The requirements of God's law—
[The law is contained in the Ten Commandments : and
the summary given of it by our Lord is, that we must love
God with all our heart and mind and soul and strength, and
our neighbour as ourselves.
Now consider what is comprehended in these two command
ments — — and remember, the obedience to be paid to
them must be perfect ("in all things"); personal (by " every
one of us"); and perpetual (we must "continue in" it, from
the first to the latest hour of our life). It is not sufficient that
we wish to do them : we must " do them ;" do them " all ;"
"every one of us " and " continue" so to do, even to the end.
2061.] SPIRITUALITY AND SANCTIONS OF THE LAW. 71
This was written under the lawa; and it is confirmed to us by
the Apostle's citation of it under the Gospel. Now we must
remember, that on our perfect obedience to it all its promises
are suspended ; and if, in any one instance, even in thought or
desire, we fall short of it, we must then be considered as
violators of the law. This is a point not sufficiently consi
dered. St. Paul himself did not clearly understand it, previous
to his conversion. He interpreted the law only in its literal
sense ; and could not conceive that such an one as he had ever
violated its commands : but when he saw that it forbade an
inordinate desire as much as an overt act, he then saw that he
was condemned by it, and had forfeited all hope of acceptance
by his obedience to itb.]
But, to understand the law aright, we must know,
II. The sanctions with which it is enforced—
[It denounces a curse on every, the least, violation of its
commands : " Cursed is every one," &c. What this curse is,
we may know from other passages of Holy Writ. It was said
to Adam, in reference to the forbidden fruit, " In the day thou
eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." Now, from the moment
of his transgression he became mortal as to his body : (for
" death entered by sin ;" and never would have entered, if man
had not sinned :) his soul, also, became spiritually dead to God ;
and he was doomed to " the second death," in " the lake that
burneth with fire and brimstone." To this the Apostle Paul
bears testimony, when he says, " The wages of sin is death ; but
the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lordc."
Perhaps it may assist us more, if we consider what the penalty
of transgression was to the fallen angels: they were cast out of
heaven from the presence of their God ; and were consigned
to " a lake of fire prepared on purpose for them," there to
endure for ever the vengeance of their offended God. Thus
man, on his fall, lost the favour and presence of God, and was
subjected to his heavy and everlasting displeasure. Being a
partaker with the angels in their offence, he became a partaker
with them in their punishment.
Now let every one that has transgressed the law in ever so
small a degree, though it may have been only once, consider
what the law says to him : it says, " Cursed is every one that
continveth not in all things that are written in the book of the
law, to do them."]
This, I say, is,
III. The tremendous inference that must be drawn
in relation to every one of us—
a Dent, xxvii. 26. b Rom. vii. 7, 9. ° Rom. vi. 23.
72 GALATIANS, III. 10. [2061.
[We all are under the law. The law was given to man
in Paradise. It was written in his heart, when he came out of
his Creator's hands. We all, therefore, are under it ; and,
consequently, " every mouth must be stopped, and all the
world become guilty before Godd."
If this inference be not true, I would ask, which of the
premises is erroneous ?
Does the law require less than I have stated ? If any one
think so, let him tell me where God has dispensed with any
one of its commandments ? Where has he authorized us to
alienate from him any measure of that love which he had
required in his law ? or where has he lowered the standard of
our love to man ; and permitted us to act otherwise towards
him, than we, in a change of circumstances, should think it
right that he should act towards us ?
If the requirements of the law are not reduced, are its
sanctions altered ? Has God any where revoked them ? Has
he not, on the contrary, expressly said, " The soul that sinneth,
it shall die6?;
If its requirements are not altered, nor its sanctions revoked,
can you say you are not under it ? The whole race of man
kind are under it : and must continue under it, till they lay
hold on that better covenant which God has given us in his
Gospel.
There is, then, no possibility of evading the inference that is
here drawn ; namely, that as many as are under the law, and
consequently the whole race of mankind, are under the curse.
O ! remember this, ye old; it curses you: ye young; it curses
you : ye moral ; it curses you. There is not a child of man
to whom it does not say, " Thou art cursed."]
Who, then, must not SEE,
1. The folly of seeking to be justified by the works
of the law?
[If you had sinned but once, and then only in thought,
you would be cursed, as a violator of God's law; and, conse
quently, be without hope of obtaining salvation by it. For, if
you would be saved by it, you must first atone for your offences
against it ; and then obey it perfectly in future. But which
of these can ye do ? If ye were to shed rivers of tears, they
could never wash away one sin. The whole race of mankind
would never be able to atone for one sin. And suppose your
past offences forgiven ; which of you, for a single day or hour,
could fulfil the law perfectly in future ? Know, that this would
be an hopeless attempt ; and that, consequently, " by the works
d Rom. iii. 19. e Ezck. xviii. 20.
2062.] REDEMPTION BY CHRIST. 73
of the law can no flesh living be justified f." St. Paul himself
renounced all hope of acceptance with God by any righteous
ness of his own, and sought it solely by faith in Christ g : and
so must you, if ever you would obtain mercy at the hands of
Godh.]
2. The happiness of those who have obtained an
interest in Christ ?
[They are dead to the law ; and the law is dead to them1.
To them is no condemnation k: on the contrary, they have,
and ever shall possess, eternal life1. In all the book of God
there cannot be found one curse denounced against them. To
them belong nothing but blessings, even all the blessings of
grace and glory. Say, beloved, Are not these happy ? Seek
ye, then, this happiness. Flee to Christ : believe in Christ :
and then ye " shall never perish, but shall have eternal life."]
3. The reasonableness of a life devoted to Christ ?
[Contemplate the benefits you receive by faith in Christ ;
and say, whether any return that ye can make can ever be .too
great ? To tell you, that, if you believe in Christ, you must
obey him, is, I had almost said, to degrade human nature below
the beasts. Does " the ox know its owner, and the ass his
master's crib ;" and shall a believer NOT know, and love, and
serve, his heavenly Benefactor ? Shall the Lord Jesus Christ
have "bought you with his blood, and you not desire to glorify
him with your bodies and your spirits, which are his?" O !
brethren, do not oblige me to say, you must obey him ; but
" be forward of yourselves," and give yourselves wholly to
him ; and let the inquiry of your soul, every day and hour, be,
" What shall I render to the Lord for all the benefits con
ferred upon me ?"]
f Rom. iii. 20. g Phil. iii. 9.
h Rom. ix. 31, 32. and x. 3, 4. * Rom. vii. 1—4. ii. 19.
k Rom. viii. 1. 1 John iii. 10, 18.
MMLXII.
REDEMPTION BY CHRIST.
Gal. iii. 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law,
being made a curse for us.
THE law, which subjects all mankind to a curse,
is the moral law ; that is principally intended in the
74 GALATIANS, III. 13. [2062.
passage before usa : it remains unalterable in its de
mands of obedience or punishment. But in the
Gospel a remedy is provided for transgressors : this
remedy is proposed to us in the text.
I. Clear up some points relative to redemption—
The most important truths of Christianity are often
denied ; but we must be established in them, if we
would receive the blessings of redemption. We
should know clearly,
1. What is that " curse" from which we are re
deemed—
[Many suppose it to be annihilation, or at most a tem
porary punishment ; but the Scriptures represent it in a far
different light : we cannot precisely declare the exact quality
of it; it consists, however, partly in banishment from Godb,
and partly in inconceivable anguish both of soul and bodyc.
Its duration certainly will be eternal ; it will continue coeval
with the happiness of the righteous d ; neither the curse shall
cease, nor sinners cease to endure it6.]
2. Who is it that redeems us from it-
fit is thought by many that we must deliver ourselves by
repentance, &c. But it is impossible for fallen man to deliver
his own soul : he cannot by doi?ig, because he cannot perfectly
obey the law in future ; and if he could, his obedience would
not atone for past sinsf : he cannot by suffering, because the
penalty of one sin is eternal death. Nor could the highest
archangel redeem the world ; if he could, God needed not to
have sent his own Son. None but " Christ " was sufficient for
so great a work ; but his obedience unto death has effected our
redemption ; he " made an end of sin, and brought in ever
lasting righteousness g."]
a It is that law, from the curse of which Abraham and the Gen
tiles were redeemed, ver. 10 ; and consequently, though the ceremo
nial law be not entirely excluded, the text must be understood
principally in reference to the moral law.
b 2 Thess. i. 9. c Luke xvi. 23, 24.
d Matt. xxv. 46. aluviov is used respecting both.
e Our Lord repeats this no less than five times in six verses, Mark
ix. 43 — 48.
f The ceasing to increase a debt will not cancel a debt already in
curred : see Luke xvii. 10.
s Dan. ix. 24.
2062. _j REDEMPTION BY CHRIST. 75
3. Who they are that shall enjoy the benefits of
redemption—
[Many imagine that, because Christ has died for all, all
shall be saved ; but redemption is by no means so extensive as
the curse. With respect to heathens we know little how God
will deal with them ; but we know what will be his conduct
towards the Christian world : they who believe in Christ, and
they only, will be finally savedh; such alone were compre
hended under the term " us."]
These points being cleared up, we shall,
II. Shew by what means we are redeemed —
By the Mosaic law persons hanged were deemed
accursed1. Hence Christ, in his death, was " made
a curse" or held accursedk. In becoming a curse,
he was our substitute —
[Christ did not die merely for our good ; he endured the
curse in our stead. This was typically represented under
the Mosaic law1 : - - the prophets concur in establishing
this truth™ ; — — the Apostles confirm it in the plainest
terms" His curse indeed was not the same with ours,
either in quality or duration ; yet it was fully adequate to all
the demands of law and justice; and it was such as God
appointed for him, and accepts on our behalf.]
This substitution of Christ was the mean of effect
ing our redemption—
[God ordained it for this very end0. He was pleased with
it in this viewp. He was reconciled to man on account of itq.
Our redemption is expressly ascribed to itr. Our deliverance
from the guilt and power of sin is effected by it8. It was the
price paid for the salvation of the church*.]
h Mark xvi. 16. The faith here spoken of is not a mere assent to
the truths of Christianity, but a living, operative, and purifying faith,
Acts xv. 9. Jam. ii. 20, 26.
' Deut. xxi. 23.
k See the words immediately following the text.
I Lev. xvi. 7 — 10, 21, 22. It is impossible not to see in this
passage that the scape-goat had the iniquities of the Jewish nation
transferred to him, while the goat that died made atonement for
them.
m Dan. ix. 26. " Not for himself," Isai. liii. 5.
II 2 Cor. v. 21. 1 Pet. ii. 24. & iii. IS. " Rom. iii. 25.
i' Eph. v. 2. q Rom. v. 10. r Eph. i. 7.
s Ileb. ix. 13, 14. f Acts xx. 28. with 1 Cor. vi. 20.
76 GALATIANS, III. 19. [2063.
INFER —
1. How great was the love of Christ towards our
fallen race !
[That he who was happy in the bosom of his Father
should become a curse ! That he should submit to such
misery in our place and stead ! Well might that anathema
be denounced against the ungrateful11 — Let us then study to
" comprehend the heights and depths of his love."]
2. What folly and impiety is it to seek justification
by the law !
[When the moral law was once broken, it was absolutely
impossible that any man should be justified by itx. There
remained no way of escaping its curse but by embracing the
Gospel y. What folly then is it to reject salvation when it is
freely offered, and to seek it in a way in which it cannot be
found ! Nor is the impiety of the conduct less than the folly.
It declares that the sacrifice of Christ was unnecessary, or
ineffectual. This conduct proved destructive to the bulk of
the Jewish nation2. May we never imitate them to our
eternal ruin !]
3. How strong are the Christian's obligations to
holiness !
[Christ did not die to deliver us from the curse only, but
from sin alsoa. Shall we hope to attain one end of his death
while we defeat the other ? We should reject such a thought
with the utmost abhorrence b. Let every one then strive to
attain the disposition of St. Paulc — ]
u 1 Cor. xvi. 22. x Gal. iii. 21. y Gal. iii, 22.
2 Rom. ix. 31, 3?, & x. 3.
a Tit. ii. 14. b Rom. vi. 1. c 2 Cor. v. 14. 15.
MMLXIII.
THE USES OF THE LAW.
Gal. iii. 19. Wherefore then serveth the law?
PERHAPS, of all the subjects connected with re
ligion, there is not one so rarely unfolded to Christian
auditories as the law. We are ready to suppose,
either that men are sufficiently acquainted with it ;
or that it is antiquated, and unnecessary to be known.
2063.] THE USES OF THE LAW. 77
But the law lies at the foundation of all true religion;
and it ought to be studied, in ihejirst place, as alone
opening the way to the true knowledge of the Gospel.
The mistakes which obtain in reference to it are very
numerous. In truth, there are but few persons who
have just views respecting it : and, on that account,
I propose to call your attention to it throughout this
series of discourses. I am aware, that persons deeply
impressed with any particular subject are apt to
magnify its importance beyond due bounds : and,
being aware of this, I will endeavour to avoid that
error on the present occasion. But I feel that it is
scarcely possible to speak too strongly respecting
the importance of the law. Those, indeed, who
have never considered it, will possibly be somewhat
staggered at the positions which I shall be necessitated
to maintain in this my introductory discourse : and
the rather, because the full proof of my assertions
must, of necessity, be deferred to those discourses
wherein the several parts will be more largely con
sidered. But should this impression be unfortunately
made on any of my hearers, I must request that
their ultimate decision be suspended, till the subject
has undergone the proposed investigation. As for
those who are conversant with the subject, I have no
fear but that they will go along with me in my state
ment, and concur with me in the sentiments which
shall be submitted to them.
In the epistle before us, the Apostle Paul is main
taining a controversy with the Judaizing teachers ;
who wished to combine the Law with the Gospel, as
a joint ground of hope before God. In order to rec
tify their views, he shews, that, if they would make
their works, whether ceremonial or moral, in any
degree the ground of their hopes, they must stand
altogether on the footing of the law, which prescribed
perfect obedience as the way to life ; and must re
nounce all interest in the covenant which was made
with their father Abraham, and which promised life
to men by believing in the Promised Seed. Upon
this, they naturally ask, " Wherefore, then, serveth
78 GALATIANS, III. 19. [2063.
the law ?" that is, ' If we are not to be saved by the
law, for what end did Moses give us the law ? What
end can it answer?'
Now, to this inquiry I purpose to address myself.
My first point will be, to shew the incalculable impor
tance of the inquiry itself ; and then, in my future
discourses, to give ivhat I conceive to be the true answer
to it.
To mark the vast importance of the inquiry will
sufficiently occupy us at this time. But, really, I
scarcely know in what terms to state it, if indeed I
would state it with becoming fidelity. I have already
said, that the knowledge of the law is at the founda
tion of all true religion : and I hope to convince all
who will candidly investigate the subject, that without
a clear, distinct knowledge of the law wre can have
no just sentiments, no proper feelings, no scriptural
hopes. And, whilst I attempt this arduous discussion,
may Almighty God pour out upon us his Holy Spirit,
to give to every one of us the seeing eye, the hearing
ear, the understanding heart, and ultimately to guide
our feet into the way of peace !
First, then, let me say, that without a distinct
knowledge of the law we can have no just sentiments.
Of course, I confine this, and all my observations, to
religion ; for of things that are merely civil or moral
it is beside my purpose to speak at all. And I wish
this to be borne in mind, throughout my whole dis
course : for otherwise I shall appear to run into a
very erroneous excess.
It must be remembered, that I speak only of the
moral law ; as I shall shew more fully in my next
discourse. For with the ceremonial law there is no
such connexion as I am about to trace, nor any ne
cessary reference to it in my text.
I say, then, that without a distinct knowledge of
the moral law we can have no just sentiments re
specting God and his perfections, or Christ and his
offices, or the Holy Spirit and his operations.
Let us proceed to illustrate this.
It will be readily acknowledged, that the holiness
2063.] THE USES OF THE LAW. 79
of the Deity is, and must be, marked in the law,
which he has given for the government of his rational
creation : and, if we suppose that law to be a perfect
transcript of his mind and will ; if we suppose it to
extend to every action, word, and thought, and to
require, that in the habit of our minds we shall retain
all that purity in which we were originally created,
and preserve to our latest hour God's perfect image
upon our souls ; if it admit not of the slightest pos
sible deviation or defect, no, not even through igno
rance or inadvertence ; if it promise nothing to us
but after a spotless adherence to its utmost demands
from first to last ; it will, of course, be seen that he
is indeed a holy Being, that cannot look upon
iniquity without the utmost abhorrence. But, if we
suppose his law to require any thing less than this,
and to admit of any thing short of absolute perfec
tion, we must, of necessity, conceive of him as less
abhorrent of sin, in proportion to the degree in which
he lowers his own demands, and in which he leaves
us at liberty to depart from this high standard, the
standard which he proposed to man in Paradise, and
which he still ordains for the angels that are around
his throne.
In like manner, if we suppose that the sanctions
with which he enforces his law are strong and awful ;
if we suppose that they involve nothing less than the
everlasting happiness or misery of every child of
man ; if we suppose that one single defect, of what
ever kind, forfeits all title to happiness, and involves
the soul in irremediable guilt and misery ; if we
suppose that these sanctions can never be set aside,
never mitigated, never cease to operate through all
eternity ; we shall, of necessity, have a high idea of
God's justice, which will never relax the smallest
atom of its demands, either in reference to the obe
dience of man, or the execution of the threatenings
denounced against him. But, if we have an idea that
God will overlook some slighter imperfections, or
punish them only for a time, and that too in a way
which may be found supportable by feeble man ; we,
80 GALATIANS, III. 19. [2063.
of course, proportionally lower our ideas of divine
justice, and accommodate our views of it to the
standard of human imperfection.
Respecting his mercy, also, we may make the same
observations. If we suppose the guilt that man has
contracted to be beyond all measure and conception
great, and the judgments to which he is exposed to
be commensurate with his deviations from God's
perfect law ; if we suppose his sins to be more in
number than the sands upon the sea shore ; and
every one of those sins to be deserving of God's
eternal wrath and indignation ; then we shall indeed
stand amazed at the mercy of God, who, instead of
executing his threatened vengeance, has provided a
remedy for the whole world ; a remedy suited to their
wants, and sufficient for their necessities ; a remedy,
whereby he may restore them to his favour, not only
without compromising the honour of his other per
fections, but to the everlasting advancement of them
all. Yes, truly, with such views of his law, we shall
magnify his mercy, that can pardon so much guilt,
and relieve from so much misery, and exalt to glory
such unworthy creatures. But, if we suppose man's
offences to have been comparatively few, and his
desert of vengeance to be comparatively light, who
does not see that we reduce almost to nothing the
mercy of our God, which has been so little needed,
and which has effected for us so inconsiderable a
deliverance ? I think that there is nothing strained
in this statement, nothing which must not approve
itself to every candid mind : and I am the more con
cerned that this view should be clearly understood,
because it will open the way for a just apprehension
of what I have yet further to offer under this head.
I proceed then to observe, that, without a clear
knowledge of the law we can have no just views of
Christ and his offices. From whence arose a necessity
for a Saviour ? was it not because we were con
demned by the law, and incapable either of atoning
for our past sins, or of restoring ourselves to the
Divine image ? Now, suppose our guilt to have been
2063. J THE USES OF THE LAW. 81
exceeding great ; and that every deviation from God's
perfect law brought upon us a curse, an everlasting
curse, under the wrath of Almighty God : suppose,
too, that the demands of law and justice could never
be satisfied without the punishment of the offender,
either in his own person, or in the person of an ade
quate surety ; then, in exact proportion as you mag
nify our guilt and misery, you magnify the Saviour,
who by the sacrifice of himself has restored us to the
Divine favour : and in proportion as you diminish our
necessities, you depreciate the value of his atone
ment. Again, conceive of the law as never satisfied
without a perfect obedience to its commands, and as
requiring every soul to possess, either in himself or
in his surety, a righteousness commensurate with its
highest demands ; then will Christ be proportionably
exalted, in that he has wrought out a righteousness
for all who shall believe in him, and that, through
his righteousness, a way of salvation is opened for
every child of man. But reduce that righteousness
to any lower standard — say, to sincere, but imperfect,
obedience ; your need of Christ for this end is pro
portionably reduced, and your obligation to him
almost altogether cancelled.
But take a larger view of his offices : conceive of
him as a Prophet, who is to instruct us ; a Priest, that
is to atone for us ; a King, that is to rule over us :
what comparative need is there of his instructions, if
so defective a knowledge of his religion will suffice ?
What need of his sacrifice, if repentance and refor
mation can restore us to God's favour ? And what
need of his government, if so little is to be effected
in our behalf, either in a way of deliverance from sin,
or in a way of effective renovation ? The less that is
required of man himself, the less must of necessity
be required of his Surety : and, consequently, the
whole work of Christ, whether for us or in us, must
be reduced, in proportion as we reduce the demands
of the law, and the necessities of man.
The same reasoning must be applied to the opera
tions of the Hohj Spirit : The less is required of us,
VOL. XVII. G
80 GALATIANS, ITT. 19. [2063.
the less there is for him to do within us. And hence
it is, that many deny the necessity of his influences
altogether,, either for the illumination of our minds,
or the sanctification of our souls. The truth is, that
the whole denial of the doctrine of the Trinity, and
of all the doctrines dependent on it — the doctrine
of the atonement, of imputed righteousness, and of
divine influences — must be traced to this source.
Men feel not their need of a Divine Saviour : they
feel not the need of an Almighty Agent, to work in
them the whole work of God. Hence their principles
of theology are brought down to the low standard
of the Pelagian, Arian, and Socinian hypotheses.
Let but a person obtain a thorough insight into the
spirituality of the law, he will see that their meagre
systems can never supply his wants, never afford a
remedy suited to his necessities. If any one less
than God himself undertake to effect his salvation,
he sees that he must inevitably perish : and, if he
had none but a creature to rely upon, glad would he
be to be permitted to take his portion under rocks
and mountains.
Having established, I trust, the truth of my first
position, namely, that without a knowledge of the
law we can have no just sentiments ; I proceed to
shew, in the second place,
That neither can we have any proper feelings. Of
course, I must make the same limitation as before,
and be understood as speaking only of feelings so far
as religion is concerned.
Without the knowledge of the law there can be no
true humility. This is a matter of vast importance.
— What is humility ? It is not a mere sense of our
weakness as creatures, nor a general acknowledg
ment that we are sinners ; but a deep and abiding
consciousness of our guilty and undone state ; a con
sciousness, that darkness itself is not more opposite
to light, than we are to the pure and holy law of
God. It is a sense of our utter alienation from God,
yea, and of enmity against him ; insomuch, that
" every imagination of the thoughts of our heart is
2063.] THE USES OF THE LAW. 83
only evil continually :" it is such a sense of this as
makes us really to " lothe and abhor ourselves, and
to repent before God in dust and ashes." This is
that " broken and contrite heart which God will not
despise." But where do we find persons penetrated
with this contrition, and smiting on their breasts, and
crying for mercy as sinners deserving of God's wrath
and indignation ? Or, if we saw one under such dis
tressing apprehensions, who amongst us would not
be ready to think that he carried matters to excess ;
and that, unless he had been guilty of some sins
beyond what were commonly committed, he had no
need for such excessive griefs and sorrows ? It is
well known that such penitents are few ; and that
such comforters, if indeed disgust did not preclude
any attempt to administer comfort, would be found
in every company we meet with. But to what is all
this owing ? It arises from men's ignorance of the
law : they try not either themselves or others by so
high a standard : and, being insensible of their de
partures from it, they see no cause for such humilia
tion on account of those departures. In fact, the very
idea of such humility enters not into the mind of the
natural man : and, copious as were the languages
of Greece and Rome, they had no word whereby
to express it. With the word which they used to
express their idea of humility, they associated rather
the notion of meanness, than of an exalted virtue :
and, though all of us profess to admire humility as
a grace, there is not in the universe a man, in his
natural state, that either possesses or approves of it,
according to its real import.
The same may be said of gratitude. — What is
gratitude, but a thankful sense of mercies received ?
A truly enlightened Christian will view himself as a
poor bond-slave redeemed from sin and Satan, death
and hell ; redeemed, too, by the precious blood of
our incarnate God. He will be altogether, in his own
apprehension, " a brand plucked out of the burning :"
an apostate fiend would not, in his estimation, be a
greater monument of grace than he. Hence he
84< GALATIANS, III. 19. [2063.
blesses his redeeming God, and calls upon all that is
within him to bless his holy name. But where do
we find this transport ? Where do we see persons
oppressed under the weight of the obligations con
ferred upon them ? Were we to behold a person so
elevated with joy, or so depressed with a sense of his
great unworthiness, the generality amongst us would
call it extravagance, and perhaps ridicule it as the
height of absurdity. To the generality, some faint
acknowledgments are quite sufficient to express their
sense of redeeming love. But how different is this
from the feelings of those around the throne of God !
They, angels as well as saints, are penetrated with
the devoutest admiration of this stupendous mystery :
the one, as viewing its transcendent excellency ; the
other, as themselves experiencing its richest benefits.
They are all prostrating themselves before the throne
of God. And wherefore is it that men are so cold
and insensible ? Is it not because they see not the
depths from which they have been redeemed ? Did
they see in the glass of God's law the depth of the
misery from which they have been delivered, they
would have far other thoughts of their Deliverer. But,
having reduced to almost nothing their obligations to
him, no wonder if their gratitude to him be propor-
tionably weak and vapid.
Of holy zeal, also, I must say the same. Who feels
it in any measure corresponding with what the Scrip
tures require at our hands ? We are represented as
being " bought with a price ;" and therefore are called
to " glorify God with our body and our spirit, which
are God's." To a man sensible of his obligations, no
service under heaven would appear too great. All
that he can do for the Lord is nothing in his eyes :
and all that he can suffer for the Lord is accounted
light. His time, his talents, his property, his influence,
his whole life, appear of no value, but as they may be
made subservient to the advancement of the Divine
glory. But how little of this is seen ! and how little
is it approved, when seen ! What names are too
harsh, whereby to stigmatize such a life as this ? and
2063. J TIIE USES OF THE LAW. 85
how infinitely below this is the standard of those who
value themselves upon their morality ! To the same
cause must this also be traced. In fact, humility,
and gratitude, and zeal, must of necessity rise and fall
together : and according as our views of the law are
deep or superficial, will all of these evince themselves
to accord or disagree with the standard proposed to
us in the Gospel of Christ.
I come now, in the third place, to shew, that with
out the knowledge of the law we can have no scrip
tural hopes. The faith which alone justifies the soul,
is that which brings us simply to the Lord Jesus
Christ as our only hope and refuge. If we attempt,
in any measure or degree, to blend with his merits
any thing of our own, we make void all that he has
done and suffered for us : " Christ himself is from
that moment become of no effect unto us." As far
as respects us, " his death is in vain." But who will
exercise this faith ? Who will condescend to accept
salvation on such terms ? Who will bear to renounce
his good works in point of dependence on them, and
to enter into heaven at the same gate with publicans
and harlots ? All this is too humiliating for our proud
hearts : we will not endure it : we will have some
thing of our own, whereof to boast. If we make not
our own works the sole ground of our justification,
we will rely on them in part : or, if we be brought
to rely solely on the merits of Christ, and to seek
salvation by faith alone, we will make our own good
ness a warrant for believing in him. We cannot,
we will not, suffer ourselves to be stript of all self-
preference : we will not glory solely in the cross of
Christ. And wherefore is all this reluctance to com
ply with the terms of the Gospel ? It proceeds from
our ignorance of the law. We see not, that our very
best deeds stand in need of mercy, as much as our
vilest sins. We see not, that the smallest defect en
tails a curse upon us, as truly as our most enormous
transgression. When these things are clearly seen,
all the difficulty vanishes ; and we are contented to
be saved altogether by grace. But, till we have
86 GALATIANS, III. 19. [2063.
obtained this knowledge of the law, nothing under
heaven can prevail upon us to exercise faith with
becoming simplicity.
As to an entire devotedness of heart to God, as his
redeemed people, we shall be equally defective in
that also. We shall be contented with a low stan
dard of obedience, and never aspire after a perfect
conformity to the Divine image. To " walk altogether
as Christ walked," will appear a bondage. To tread
in the steps of the holy Apostles, will be regarded as
being " righteous over-much." To glory in the cross
for Christ's sake, and to " rejoice that we are counted
worthy to suffer shame" and death for him, will be
thought fit only for Apostles, and a culpable excess
in us. But nothing less than this will prove us sincere :
nothing less than this will be an acceptable sacrifice
unto the Lord. If we would be really Christ's, we
must " live, not unto ourselves, but unto him who
died for us, and rose again ;" " purifying ourselves,
even as he is pure ;" and being " perfect, even as our
Father which is in heaven is perfect." This, let it be
remembered, is inseparable from a scriptural hope :
and, inasmuch as nothing but a scriptural hope can
constrain us to it, and nothing but the grace of Christ
effect it in us, we must remain destitute of it : our
ignorance of the law will keep us from Christ ; and
our want of union with Christ will keep us far lower
in our attainments than the Gospel requires, and,
consequently, destitute of the hope which the Gospel
only can inspire.
I think enough has now been spoken to shew the
importance of the inquiry in my text. I am sensible
that many strong things have been spoken ; and
spoken, it may be thought, without sufficient proof:
and I candidly acknowledge, that if I had not, in pro
spect, further opportunities of unfolding the subject,
I would gladly have lowered, as far as Christian
fidelity would have admitted of it, my statement.
But my desire is, to impress your minds with the
importance of the subject. I wish, if it may please
God, to prepare the way for a careful and impartial
2063.] THE USES OF THE LAW. 87
investigation of it. I certainly do feel that it is not
sufficiently considered by Christians in general ; and
that, in comparison of other subjects, it is very rarely
discussed. And most assuredly do I know, that an
ignorance of it is at the root of all those superficial
views and statements, with which the Christian world
rests satisfied. O, that it might please God to ac
company our investigation of it with his Holy Spirit,
and to bring home the subject with power to all our
hearts ! Certainly, if the representation which I have
given of it be true, a more important subject cannot
occupy our attention. And there is need of much
candour in the consideration of it. I wish it to be
weighed : I know, that, if not founded in truth, and
supported by clear convincing argument, it can have
no weight with the audience which I have the honour
to address. But I know, at the same time, that if,
in some respects, it appear strange, it will not there
fore be discarded as unworthy of attention. From
the experience of many years do I know, that state
ments proposed with modesty are in this place heard
with candour : and God forbid that I should affect
to dogmatize, where it becomes me to speak with
deference and humility ! Yet I cannot dissemble,
that my whole soul goes along with the subject ;
because I believe that the salvation of all your souls
depends upon your acceptance or rejection of the
truths essentially connected with it. Let me desire,
therefore, that all amongst you, who know what it is
to have access to God in prayer, will aid me with
their supplications for an out-pouring of his Holy
Spirit upon us in all our future discussions. It is
but a little time that I have to speak for the Lord, or
you to hear. O, that all of us may so improve the
present hour, that, in that great day, when we shall
stand at the judgment-seat of Christ, we may be ac
cepted of our God ; and that I who speak, and you
who hear, may rejoice together !
88 GALAT1ANS, 111. 19. [2064.
MMLXIV.
THE SPIRITUALITY OF THE LAW.
Gal. iii. 19. Wherefore then serveth the law?
WE now enter upon the second part of our sub
ject. We proposed to inquire into the use of the
law. But, without entering distinctly into that point,
we endeavoured to call your attention to it by an
exposition of its vast importance. We were aware
that we should anticipate much which would after
wards be brought forward ; and that we should
assume, for the present, some things, which, though
partially proved, would remain to be afterwards more
fully established. Yet we would hope that nothing
was adduced without sufficient proof; and nothing
asserted, which those who are at all acquainted with
the subject would not readily concede. W7e think it
highly probable, that in our subsequent discussions
there may also be somewhat of repetition. If we
were content to prosecute all the separate parts of
the subject without pointing out their bearing upon
the heart and conscience, we might easily keep them
all distinct, without anticipating any thing, or repeat
ing any thing. But you would, of course, wish me
to discharge my high office with a due attention to
your eternal interests : and, consequently, you will
be prepared to allow me the liberty which is neces
sary to the attainment of this great object. Of course,
I shall not trespass more in this respect than neces
sity shall require : but, if I be found to need your
indulgence in this matter, you are now apprised of
the reason of it, and will no doubt readily grant to
me the liberty I request.
I am now about to answer the inquiry which I
have instituted, and the importance of which I have
already shewn. But, previous to my entering upon
the distinct answer, there is one point which must,
of necessity, be settled. You will ask me, ' Of what
law are you speaking ? Let me understand that
first ; for, otherwise, all that you shall speak about
2064.] SPIRITUALITY OF THE LAW. 89
its use will be in vain ! ' I am aware that this must
be first clearly and distinctly stated. I was con
strained, in my former discourse, to pass over this
point ; and to assume, that the Apostle was speaking
of the moral law. But now, as I then gave you
reason to expect, I will address myself to that con
sideration ; and will shew,
First, what is that law which the Apostle spake of:
and, secondly, what bearing this part of my subject
has upon the question before us.
First, what is that law which the Apostle spake of,
and respecting which he instituted his inquiry ?
The word " Law," in the New Testament, is used
in several different senses. But as in this place it
can mean only the law as given to Moses, it must,
of necessity, mean the moral, or the ceremonial, or
the judicial law ; or a compound of them all together.
But of the judicial law the Apostle makes no question.
He is speaking of a law which appeared to stand in
competition with the promise which had been made
to Abraham four hundred and thirty years before.
But between the promise and the judicial law, which
I may call the common law of the land, there could
be no such competition : for the promise made to
Abraham will be equally in force in every country
under heaven, whatever be its code of laws, or the
outward form of its administration. Of the cere
monial law he does speak ; and that frequently :
because it was to that that the Jews adhered with
such inveterate pertinacity. But still, if we admit
that to be included in the passage, it is only included
as being that outward form which the Jews supposed
to be inseparable from the moral law ; and the per
formance of which they regarded as an obedience to
the moral law. It is of the moral law chiefly, if not
exclusively, that the Apostle speaks. The line of
his argument is this : God promised to Abraham and
his seed, life, by faith in the Messiah, who should
spring from his loins. Four hundred and thirty years
afterwards he gave to Moses a law of works, which
90 GALATIANS, III. 19. [2064.
were partly moral, and partly ceremonial. It may
be asked, then ; In publishing this law, did God
intend to set aside the promise ? No : he did not ;
and he could not: he could not, because the promise
made to Abraham was made to him and to his believ
ing seed, whether of Jews or Gentiles, to the end of
the world : but the law given to Moses was given
only to a small portion of Abraham's seed ; and that
only for a time : and, consequently, as no covenant
can be annulled but by the consent of both the par
ties interested in it, and only one of those parties
was present at the transaction on Mount Sinai,
nothing that was done there could supersede what
had been done with others four hundred and thirty
years before. Then, it would be asked, ( For what
end was this law given ?' The Apostle answers,
" It was given because of transgressions, till the seed
should come, to whom the promise was made ;" that
is, it was given to shew to what an extent transgres
sion had abounded ; and how greatly they needed the
Promised Seed, to recommend them to God. Instead
of setting aside the promises, then, as a person unac
quainted with its uses might be ready to suppose, it
was intended rather to be subservient to them ; by
shewing to men, that, being condemned by the law,
they must seek for life as a free gift of God, through
faith in the Promised Seed.
Let it then be observed, that, if we admit the cere
monial law to be in part intended, it is only in part :
it is only as shewing that works of every kind,
whether ceremonial or moral, are equally excluded
from the office of justifying the soul before God.
This is the whole scope of the Apostle's argument,
whether in the Epistle to the Galatians, or in that to
the Romans : and to say, that, though ceremonial
works cannot justify us, moral works may, is to
oppose the whole line of his argument throughout
both the epistles, and to set it aside altogether. The
great question in both is, Whether we are to be jus
tified by works or by faith ? And his whole argu
ment, in both, goes to prove this one point, that
2064.] SPIRITUALITY OF THE LAW. 91
" Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to
every one that believetha!"
Further proofs of this point will be adduced in
their proper place. What I have here stated is quite
sufficient to establish the point proposed ; namely,
that the moral law is that chiefly respecting which
the Apostle's inquiry is instituted.
Now, then, let me say what I mean by the moral
law. It is that law which was given to Moses on
Mount Sinai, and was " ordained by angels in the
hand of a Mediator." It was the law of the ten
commandments only that God wrote on tables of
stone, or that was given to Moses at that time amidst
the ministration of angels b. All the ceremonial law
was revealed to Moses afterwards, and in private,
without any of the attendant pomp with which the
moral law was given.
But what was this law ? and in what light was it
to be considered ? It was the very law which was
originally written upon the heart of man in Paradise ;
and which, having been effaced in a great measure
by the fall, and altogether obliterated from the minds
of men through forgetfulness, and the love of sin,
needed now to be republished ; in order that men
might know how transgression had abounded ; and
how greatly they stood in need of that Promised
Seed, whom God had before taught them to expect,
and " in whom all the nations of the earth were to
be blessed." It was intended to shew them on what
terms life had been originally promised to man in
Paradise ; and on what terms alone it could give life
to man. But, inasmuch as all had transgressed it,
none could obtain life by it now ; but all must seek
for life in the way which God had provided, even by
faith in the Promised Seed ; to which way of salva
tion the law was now intended to shut them up.
Now, then, we come to shew the true nature of
this law. We have shewn, that it is of the moral
law that we are speaking : and to that we are more
•* Rom. \. \. b Compare Acts vii. 53. with Dent. v. 22.
92 GALATIANS, III. 19. [2064.
especially also directed in the words of my text.
The Apostle says in my text, " We know that the law
is spiritual." Now, that is not true respecting either
the judicial or ceremonial law: not of the judicial ;
for that was only a code of laws for the regulation of
the state, just like any other code of laws that exists
in any other state : nor of the ceremonial ; for that
the Apostle expressly calls, " a law of a carnal com
mandment :" and he represents it as consisting alto
gether of " carnal ordinances0." We are arrived,
therefore, at the point where we desired to come ;
namely, to shew THE SPIRITUALITY OF THIS LAW : and
this we will shew by an examination of it in all its
parts.
The law, if we merely attend to the words in
which it was promulgated, seems to refer only to
external acts, whereas, in reality, it was intended to
bind us to the performance of every thing connected
with those acts, either in word or thought ; and to
prohibit every thing which could in any way, even
by inclination or desire, prove an incentive to trans
gression. The duties of the first table did not merely
forbid outward idolatry, such as the serving of gods
of wood and stone ; but the inward respect of the
soul, as paid to any creature in comparison of the
Creator. Nothing, either within us or without us,
is to stand in competition with him. Nothing is to be
made, in any respect or any degree, an object of our
affiance. Our own wisdom, strength, righteousness,
must be altogether renounced as objects of depen
dence ; and God alone be acknowledged as the
source of all good. So neither must we seek our
happiness in any creature, except in entire subser
viency to him. For though " he has given us all
things richly to enjoy," our enjoyment must be, not
so much of the creature itself, as of God in it ; that
God may be to us our " all in all." The reverence
of his great name, and the observance of his Sabbaths,
come in as component parts of the regard we are to
shew towards him. They must not be limited to
c Heb. vii. 1(>. andix. 10.
2064.] SPIRITUALITY OF THE LAW. 93
words or acts, but must extend to the entire habit
of our souls : for, as I have said, the prohibition in
cludes an injunction of all that is contrary to the
thing prohibited. We must not only have no other
gods besides him, but must love him with all the
heart, and all the mind, and all the soul, and all the
strength : and this frame of mind must pervade our
every action, every word, every thought : and, inas
much as every seventh day is set apart for him, the
body, as well as the soul, must on that day be de
voted to his service, not only according to the mea
sure prescribed for other days, but exclusively, even
as the soul itself.
If we come to the duties of the second table, we
shall find them of equal extent, whether as command
ing what is good, or as prohibiting what is evil. The
fifth command enjoins all that can attach to us, as
superiors, equals, or inferiors : it seems, indeed, to
comprehend only one relation, and that of the infe
rior only : but it extends to every relation in which
man can stand to his fellow-man ; and to every pos
sible expression of mutual love.
The sixth and seventh commandments seem ex
tremely limited ; but we are warranted to affirm
that they extend as much to the dispositions of the
soul as to the actions of the body. Our blessed
Lord has explained them to us in his Sermon on the
Mount. The Scribes and Pharisees had narrowed
their import, and reduced them to mere bodily acts.
But our Lord and Saviour shewed, that an angry
thought was a transgression of the one, and an im
pure look a violation of the other. Exceeding thank
ful should we be for this infallible exposition of their
meaning : for this throws the true light upon the
whole ; and serves as a clew, whereby to find our
way through every commandment of the decalogue.
If the letter of them only were to be taken, the
great mass of us, I would hope, might congratulate
ourselves as innocent in relation to them : but if an
angry word, even to the saying to a brother, ( Raca,'
subjects us to the danger of hell-fire ; and an impure
94 GALATIANS, III. 19. [2064.
look, even the looking on a woman to lust after her,
is a commission of adultery with her in the heart ; who
has not need to humble himself before God, and to
tremble for the judgment that awaits him ?
The eighth and ninth commandments must be
understood as reaching, in like manner, to every in
jury that may be done to our neighbour's property
or reputation ; and to every act, or word, or thought,
whereby either the one or the other may be endan
gered.
But the key to the whole is the tenth command
ment. That, even in words, goes beyond the mere
act, and prohibits the disposition of the mind. It
was this which opened the eyes of the Apostle Paul,
in reference to his state before God. Having been
educated a Pharisee, he rested in the exposition
which the Pharisees were wont to give of the com
mandments ; and knowing that, according to their
literal import, he was innocent, he thought himself,
as "touching the righteousness of the law, blame
less." But, when he came to consider more atten
tively the tenth commandment, he knew not how to
withstand it, or to justify himself any longer as one
who had truly observed it. He perceived that an
inordinate desire of any kind was an actual violation
of it ; and he was conscious, that though he had
withstood any unlawful desires, he had not been free
from the motions of them in his heart. Hence he
was constrained to acknowledge, that he had trans
gressed the law, and was consequently condemned
by it ; and needed to cry to God for mercy, as much
as the vilest sinner upon earth. Hear his own
account of this matter : " I was alive without the
law once ; but when the commandment came, sin
revived and I died : and the commandment which
was ordained to life, I found to be unto death d."
The law, as given to man in Paradise, was ordained
to life ; but as continued to man in his fallen state,
it is invariably unto death ; and every man upon the
face of the whole earth is condemned by it.
d Rom. vii. 9, 10.
2004.] SPIRITUALITY OF THE LAW. 95
Thus I have, as briefly as possible, marked the
spirituality of the law : and sure I am, that all who
consider it aright must subscribe to that saying of
the Psalmist, " I have seen an end of all perfection ;
but thy commandment is exceeding broad," far
beyond the reach or comprehension of any finite
intelligence6.
Now, at the hazard of anticipating some future
remarks, I propose to shew,
Secondly, What bearing this part of our subject
has on the great question before us.
It will be remembered what that question is ;
namely, What are the uses of the moral law ? And
had I been content with amplifying my foregoing
observations, I should have been under no necessity
to trespass at all on the ground which we shall here
after occupy. But it is not to the understanding
alone that I would speak, but to the heart and con
science ; humbly imploring of God to clothe his
word with power, and to make it the means of
everlasting salvation to every soul that hears it.
Now, who that has attended to the foregoing state
ment does not see, in the first place, What abundant
f rounds the best amongst us have for deep humiliation
efore God.
I will readily admit, that, as to gross outward vio
lations of this law, many amongst us may be blame
less. But who amongst us has rendered unto God
the honour due unto his name ; loving him, serving
him, glorifying him, as it became us ? Who has de
spised every thing in comparison of him, and walked
as in his immediate presence ; reverencing every thing
in proportion as it appeared to proceed from him, or
to lead to him ; and wholly devoting to him the Sab
bath-day ; and having, on that sacred day especially,
the entire rest of his soul in him, as an earnest and
foretaste of the eternal Sabbath ? Who amongst us
will venture to say, that he has so lived, not unto
himself, but unto his God ; doing his will on earth as
e Ps. cxix. 96.
96 GALATIANS, III. 19. [2064.
it is done in heaven ? Nay, who has come near this
standard ? Who has ever come up to it for so much
as one day in his whole life ? Again, if we look at
the duties of the second table, wherein men are par
ticularly ready to vaunt themselves as innocent,
where is there one who has fulfilled all that is re
quired of him, as a husband or wife, as a parent or
child, as a master or servant, as a magistrate or sub
ject ? Were we to trace the line that is required in
all the different relations, and compare our conduct
with it, who must not acknowledge that his trans
gressions have been multiplied, even as the hairs of
his head, and as the sands upon the sea-shore ? If
we come to the tempers and dispositions that we
have exercised, and to the thoughts that we have
harboured, and consider the interpretation which
our Lord himself has put upon them, who amongst
us must not blush to lift up his eyes unto heaven, and
be ashamed and confounded in the presence of that
God who searcheth the heart ? We are not sufficiently
observant of the desires which break not forth into
outward acts ; but God notes them all, and imputes
them to us as transgressions of his holy law. But, in
truth, if we look at our words and actions, we shall
not find ourselves so blameless as we are ready to
imagine. For, where our own interest has stood in
competition with our neighbour's, who has not felt a
leaning to self? Who has, in all things, viewed his
neighbour's claims with the same impartiality that
he would a competition between others, in which he
had no interest ? And, in speaking of our neigh
bour, especially if he have shewn himself adverse to
us, who will venture to say that he has at all times
evinced the same candour and charity as, in a
change of circumstances, he should have judged due
to him ? We may not be conscious of having been
under an undue influence in these matters : but,
when we see how all are affected around us, we
may be sure that we have felt the general contagion,
and been but too deeply imbued with the spirit of
infirmity that pervades our fallen nature. And what
2064.] SPIRITUALITY OF THE LAW. 97
shall we say to the last command ? If even the
Apostle Paul was slain by that,, who shall stand
before it ? Who must not acknowledge, that, times
without number, he has been under the influence of
irregular and inordinate desires ? and who, under a
sense of his guilt, must not put his hand on his
mouth, and his mouth in the dust, crying, " Unclean,
uncleanf?"
Perhaps you will think that I have borne some
what hard upon your consciences ; and availed myself
of the spirituality of the law to inflict, unnecessarily,
a wound upon your minds. But the truth is, that I
have spoken nothing yet in comparison of what I
ought to speak, in order to do justice to my subject.
Forgive me, then, if I proceed to put this matter in
its true point of view.
To call to mind what we have done, or what we
have left undone, will give us a very inadequate view
of our sinfulness. If we would estimate ourselves
aright, we must take the high standard of God's
holy law, and see how infinitely short of our duty
we have come, in every act of our lives, and in every
moment of our existence. We must not inquire
merely, whether we have loved God at all ; but how
near we have come to what his law requires, and his
perfections demand. We must trace the whole state
of our souls from the beginning, and estimate it by
this rule. We shall then see that our attainments
have been as nothing, in comparison of our short
comings and defects ; literally, I say, as nothing.
The poorest bankrupt that ever existed has paid as
great a proportion of his debt as we have of our debt
to God : yea, he is in a far higher state than we : for
he, if he discharge nothing of his debt, adds nothing
to it ; but we have been augmenting our debt every
day, every hour, every moment. The very best
deeds of the best of men, whilst in their unconverted
state, if weighed in the balance of the sanctuary, have
been lighter than vanity ; and if tried by the touch-
f Lev. xiii. 43. Lam. iii. 29.
VOL. XVII. II
98 GALATIANS, III. 19. [2064.
stone of God's perfect law, have been no better than
splendid sins ; 01% rather, they have been one con
tinued accumulation of guilt and misery against the
day of wrath. If we try ourselves only by the letter
of the law, we shall see nothing of this : but if we
enter into the spirit of it, and examine ourselves by
that, there will be no terms too humiliating for us
whereby to express our sinfulness and our desert of
God's wrath and indignation.
Permit me, then, to call you to this self-abasing
state. Permit me to wrest out of your hands that
delusive plea, that you have done no harm. I pray
you to take judgment as your line, and righteousness
as your plummet, and to judge of yourselves as God
judgeth. It is by his judgment, and not by your own,
that you must stand or fall : and his judgment will
be according to truth.
Were the condemnation that awaits men to affect
only this present life, we might be contented to leave
them under their delusions. But we must shortly
appear before the heart-searching God, to receive
our final doom. Then the book of his remembrance,
wherein all our actions, words, and thoughts, were
written, will be opened ; then will our own con
sciences also attest the truth of every accusation that
shall be brought against us ; and then, above all, shall
we see the equity, both of the test whereby we shall
be tried, and of the sentence that shall be pronounced
against us. And then there will be no respect of
persons with God. The learned and the dignified
will stand on the same footing with the most illiterate
peasant ; or rather, will have a severer judgment, in
proportion to the advantages which they have neg
lected to improve. The Lord grant that these con
siderations may be duly laid to heart ; and that all of
us, while yet the opportunity is afforded, may abase
ourselves before God, with all humility of mind, and
with that brokenness of heart which God will not
despise !
I must not close this subject without observing, in
the second place, What a folly it is ever to think of
2064.] SPIRITUALITY OF THE LAW4 99
establishing a righteousness of our own by the works of
the law.
If God required only an observance of the letter of
his law, then indeed we might entertain a hope of
this kind. Yet even then, when we reflected on the
tenth commandment, we should see how vain and
hopeless would be the attempt. But when we see
that there is not so much as one commandment,
either of the first or second table, which we have not
violated, it seems a perfect infatuation to stand on the
ground of our own righteousness. Persons, I know,
have an idea that Christ has lowered the terms of the
law, and brought down its demands to the standard
of human infirmity. But where can they find any
thing that sanctions such an idea as this ? Which
of the commands has the Lord Jesus lowered ? The
whole decalogue he has summed up in two com
mands, " Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all
thy heart, and with all thy mind, and with all thy
soul, and with all thy strength ; and thy neighbour
as thyself." Which of these two has he set aside ?
which has he dispensed with ? or what measure of
abatement has he made in either of them ? If this
law, before the coming of Christ, required too much,
then was it not " holy, or just, or good :" if, on the
contrary, it required only what was really due, then
has Christ, if he has at all lowered its demands,
robbed God of the obedience due to him, and become
himself a minister and patron of sin.
I would speak with reverence on every subject
wherein the Deity is concerned : but I must say,
that God cannot reduce the demands of his own law :
it would be to divest himself of his own glory, and to
give liberty to man to violate the obligations which
every rational creature must, of necessity, owe to his
Creator. His law is as immutable as he himself is :
it is a perfect transcript of his mind and will. With
the exception of the Sabbath, which is a positive
institution, and has no foundation but in the will of
God, the law exists of necessity, and independent of
any revelation of it whatever. It must, of necessity,
100 GALATIANS, III. 19. [2064.
be the duty of a creature to love and serve his
Creator ; and to love,, in subordination to him, all the
works of his intelligent creation. I must say, then,
that this law is unalterable ; and that, if any would
obtain righteousness by it, they must obey it per
fectly, from first to last : and as this is impossible,
since we all are transgressors of it, the thought of
obtaining righteousness by the law must be relin
quished by every soul of man. We must, if ever we
would be saved at all, look out for some other right
eousness more commensurate with the demands of
the law, and more consistent with the honour of the
Lawgiver.
But here I must stop, because this would lead me
to what must occupy a separate discourse. I con
clude, therefore, with commending these thoughts to
your attentive consideration ; and with entreating,
that you would seek to make yourselves acquainted
with this all-important subject. The Apostle says,
" We know that the law is spiritual :" would to God
that all of us could say the same ! But, indeed, it is
not generally " known." On the contrary, a very
general and lamentable ignorance of it prevails in the
Christian world. Every one is desirous of moderating
the demands of the law to his own standard. Every
one is desirous of lessening his own criminality before
God : and, to effect this, he lowers the standard
whereby to try his obedience. But I pray you to
settle it in your minds, as an indisputable fact, that
the law is, and ever must remain, spiritual. Unless
this be thoroughly understood, it will be impossible
for you to go along with me in my future discourses:
for how can you comprehend the uses of the law, if
you know not what the law itself is ? Indeed, if you
get not a clear insight into this as the first step, I
shall appear to you to be bringing forward things
strange and unwarrantable. But let the Epistles to
the Romans and the Galatians be attentively read
with this particular view ; and I dare affirm, that the
spirituality of the law will be found written in them
us with a sun-beam : and, that once seen, you will be
2065.] FIRST USE OF THE LAW. 101
prepared to understand the uses of the law,, as they
shall be more fully developed in my future discourses.
You will not then be ready to exclaim, as otherwise
you possibly may, " This is a hard saying ; who can
hear it?" You will see that our future statements
necessarily grow out of this : and you will find no
difficulty in adopting that sentiment, which is the
ultimate drift of my whole argument, namely, that
if ever you be saved at all, you must renounce all
dependence on your own righteousness, and must
possess a righteousness corresponding with the utmost
demands of the law, even that righteousness which
the Lord Jesus Christ wrought out by his own obe
dience unto death, and which he confers on all his
penitent and believing people.
MMLXV.
THE FIRST USE OF THE LAW.
Gal. iii. 19. Wherefore then serveth the law?
NOW we begin to enter fully on our subject. Not
that we could have omitted our last statement : for
it was necessary that the spirituality of the law
should be fully known ; since, without the knowledge
of that, it is impossible for any man to understand
the truths that are founded on it. But, having thus
prepared the way, we may now state what we con
ceive to be the chief uses of the law ; namely,
1. As a monitor, to guard us against adhering to
the first covenant.
2. As an instructor, to guide us to a better
covenant.
3. As a rule to govern us, when we have laid hold
on that better covenant.
These three uses will form the subject of our pre
sent and two future Discourses.
At this time, I am to shew, that the law is in
tended as a monitor, to guard us against adhering to
the former covenant.
102 GALATIANS, III. 19. [2065.
The law was originally given to man in Paradise,
as a covenant between God and him. It was not,
indeed, written in a book ; but it was written on his
heart. The terms of it were, that man was to obey
whatever God should command ; and then both he
and his posterity should live. But if he transgressed
in any particular, he and all his posterity should die.
This, indeed, is but obscurely intimated in the history
of man's creation. It was there said to him, " In the
day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."
It is, however, most fully opened in the New Testa
ment. There it is said, " By one man's disobedience
many were made sinners :" and again, " By the
offence of one, many died ; and judgment came upon
all men to condemnation." Now it is a plain indis
putable fact, that death came upon all men from the
very moment that Adam sinned : it has come, not
on those only who have sinned like him, but on mil
lions who never have committed actual sin ; whose
sufferings, therefore, must have been the punishment
of his transgression. If sin had not been imputed to
infants, they could never have been called to bear
the penalty of sin. But they do pay that penalty
even from the womb; and therefore it is manifest that
they are considered as having fallen in Adam, and as
being in some way chargeable with his transgression.
That is the covenant, under which every child of
man is born into the world. The terms of the cove
nant having been forgotten, God was pleased to
publish it by Moses, and with his own hand to write
it upon tables of stone. The obligations of it were
stated in the Ten Commandments : and the sanctions
of it were added, " Do this, and live : Transgress,
and die."
It is true, that to Israel in the Wilderness it was
published in somewhat of a mitigated form : because
it was introduced by that gracious declaration, " I am
the Lord thy God." But still the terrors, with which
the publication of it was accompanied, shewed, that
it was " a fiery law," " a ministration of death," " a
ministration of condemnation." It is from St. Paul's
2065.] FIRST USE OF THE LAW. 103
reasonings chiefly, that we gain a clear insight into it.
Though published in the form of a covenant, it is not
really intended to be a covenant of life to man, now
in his fallen state : it is intended only to shew him
what this covenant is which he is under, and how
impossible it is for him to obtain salvation by it. This
will appear clearly, if we attend to its requirements
and its sanctions, as they are expressed in my text:
" Do this," is the command given : Do it all ; all
without exception : continue to do it from first to
last. On these terms you shall live. But a curse
awaits you, even an everlasting curse, if you violate
it in any one particular. Plead what you will, its
denunciations are inflexible, irreversible. ' I wish to
obey it.' ( Tell me not of your wishes ; but do it.'—
( I have endeavoured to obey it.' ( Tell me not of
your endeavours: but do it ; or else you are cursed.' —
( I have done it in almost every particular.' ' Tell
me not of what you have done almost: have you
obeyed it altogether? have you obeyed it in all
things ? If not, you are cursed.' — ' I have for a
great number of years obeyed it ; and but once only,
through inadvertence, transgressed it.' ( Then you
are cursed. If you have offended in one point, you
are, as St. James informs you, guilty of alla. If you
have not continued to obey it from the first moment
of your existence to the last, you are cursed.' — ' But
I am sorry for my transgression.' ( I know nothing
of your sorrows : you are cursed.' — ' But I will re
form; and never transgress again.' ' I know nothing
of your reformation : you are cursed.' — ' But I will
obey it perfectly in future.' ' I know nothing of what
you may do in future : you are cursed. I cannot
alter my terms for any one. My declaration to all,
without exception, is, "Cursed is every one that conti-
nueth not in all things that are written in the book
of the law, to do them." If you have risen to these
terms, I will give you life : if you have fallen short
of them, in any one particular, nothing remains for
104 GALATIANS, III. 19. [2065.
you but " everlasting destruction from the presence
of the Lord,, and from the glory of his power." ?b
This, let it be observed, is no inference of mine;
but the deduction of the Apostle Paul : for he says,
" As many as are of the works of the law, are under
the curse." And on what does he ground this
sweeping sentence of condemnation ? He grounds
it on the declaration of the law itself: "As many
as, &c. £c. For it is written, Cursed is every one
that continueth not in all things that are written in
the book of the law, to do them." There is no human
being that ever has obeyed the law thus perfectly :
and therefore all, without exception, are obnoxious
to the curse ; and all, who are yet looking to the law
for justification, are actually "under the curse ;" and
must, if they die in their present state, endure it for
evermore.
Such, then, are the terms of the covenant, even of
that covenant under which we all are born.
Now let us see how the law, as a monitor, guards
us against adhering to this covenant.
It opens to us what that obedience is which the
covenant requires. It shews us it, indeed, chiefly in
prohibitions, and in prohibitions of gross overt acts :
and, if it included no more than these acts, it would
rather encourage us to cleave to that covenant, and
to hope for salvation by it. But, as I shewed in my
last, it comprehends in its requirements perfect love
to God in its utmost possible extent, and perfect love
to man, even such as a man bears to himself : and it
charges us with guilt, not merely on account of open
violations of its commands, but on account of the
defectiveness of our best actions. — I will suppose,
at this moment you are filled with love to God.
'Tis well : but does your love rise to the full extent
that is due to him ? I will take you at this, the best
b The reason of this being written in the form of a dialogue is as
signed in the next Discourse, p. 118 (Note). In Rom. x. 5 — 10,
St. Paul, writing on the same subject, uses somewhat of the same form.
The precise mode of abrupt dialogue is also used, at some length, in
Rom. iii. 1 — 8.
2065.] FIRST USE OF THE LAW. 105
moment that you ever lived : Are all the powers of
your soul called forth in these acts, so that there is
no more defect in you than in Adam before the fall ?
If this be not the case, you are guilty ; and these
your most exalted virtues, instead of being merito
rious in the sight of God, stand in need of his pardon
on account of their defects. The same must be said
of the best moment that you ever passed in reference
to your fellow-creatures: Did your actions carry with
them the whole soul in love to God, and to man for
God's sake ? And were they so perfect, that there
was not in them the smallest blemish or defect ? If
not, you stand in need of pardon for your defects ;
and, consequently, can claim nothing on the score of
merit.' Now, if the law is so rigorous in its demands
as this, and admits of no deviation, no weariness, no
defect even for a moment, under any circumstances,
to the very end of life, what must it, of necessity, be
considered as saying unto us ? ' Think not of ob
taining life by the covenant of works : you see its
demands : you see how impossible it is that they
should ever be relaxed : you see how inexorably it
denounces its curse against the least transgression :
you see, it makes no abatement on account of your
weakness : it offers no assistance for the performance
of any one duty : it knows nothing of repentance or
reformation : it exacts perfect obedience from first to
last : and that not paid, even though the failure be
only once, and in the smallest point, it does nothing
but denounce its curses against you. And will you
seek life by such a covenant as this ? Oh ! flee from
it ; and dread lest you continue under it one hour
longer. The terrors of Mount Sinai did but faintly
represent the fearfulness of your state. And the strict
injunctions relative to the touching of the mount did
but faintly mark the impossibility of your ever gaining
access to God by that covenant : and, verily, if Moses
himself said on that occasion, " I exceedingly fear and
quake," much more may you in the contemplation of
the danger to which you are exposed, and of the
judgments that await you.'
106 GALATIANS, III. 19. [2065.
I am aware that this counsel of the law appears
harsh. But it is not really so : nay, it is a statement
in which the Israelites of old were expected cordially
to acquiesce. The very passage which, with some
slight alterations, the Apostle quotes in Gal. iii. 10,
are contained in the words which the Levites, as
God's representatives, were to deliver to all the
people of Israel from Mount Ebal : " Cursed be he
that confirmeth not all the words of this law, to do
them : AND ALL THE MEN SHALL SAY, AMEN c." Let
me hope, therefore, that, instead of exclaiming, ' God
forbid ! ' as some perhaps would ignorantly be dis
posed to do, in reply to the statement before given,
there shall be but one sentiment pervading this whole
assembly ; and that all, in a way of cordial approba
tion, as well as in a way of intellectual acknowledg
ment, shall with one voice cry, ' AMEN, AMEN.'
Now, the Scripture bears ample testimony that
this is indeed the first use of the law. " It was not
possible that a law should be given to fallen man
whereby he should have life : if it had, verily," says
the Apostle, " righteousness should have been by the
lawd." The law, therefore, must not be regarded
as intended to give life : it was given to shew how
sin abounded ; as St. Paul says, " The law entered,
that the offence might abound6 ;" that is, might ap
pear to abound. And again he says, " By the law is
the knowledge of sinf." And this view of the law will-
explain what he means, when he says, " I, through
the law, am dead to the lawg." In fact, this expression
comprehends and illustrates this entire part of my sub
ject. The Apostle saw that the law did nothing but
condemn him ; and therefore he renounced it utterly
in point of dependence, and determined to seek sal
vation in some other way. And the same effect must
the knowledge of the law produce on us ; it must
destroy all our hope by the covenant of works ; and
lead us to inquire after the way of salvation which
God has provided for us in the Gospel of his Son.
c Deut. xxvii. 26. d ver. 21. e Rom. v. 20.
f Rom. iii. 20. g Gal. ii. If).
2065.] FIRST USE OF THE LAW. 107
Having pointed out this first use of the law, I now
come to recommend it in that particular view, and
for that express end.
It is well known that men have a great propensity
to cleave to the law, and to seek salvation by it.
This was the besetting sin of the Pharisees of old :
" they had a zeal for God, but not according to know
ledge ; for, being ignorant of God's righteousness,
and going about to establish their own righteousness,
they would not submit to the righteousness of Godh."
This was the fault also of the Judaizing teachers :
they were always blending the law with the Gospel,
as a joint ground of hope before God ; not being
aware, that, if they relied upon the law at all, they
must stand or fall by it altogether. The moment
they did any thing with a view to obtain justification
by it, they became " debtors to do the whole law1;"
and, not having discharged their whole debt to that,
nothing awaited them but chains of darkness for
evermore. The same propensity there is in us,
though it is indulged by men in very different de
grees. Some look for their justification altogether
upon the footing of their good works : these know
not for what end good works can be required at all,
but with the view of our obtaining justification by
them : and, when they are told that they can never
be justified by their works, they suppose that we
set aside the observance of good works altogether,
and encourage all manner of licentiousness. Others
see, that some honour is due to Christ ; and that if
he came to save us, we must, in part at least, stand
indebted to him for salvation. Hence they are will
ing to rely in part on his vicarious sacrifice, and in
part on their own obedience to the law. They do
not perceive that the one makes void the other ; and
that salvation must be wholly of works or wholly of
grace ; and therefore they unite the two as the foun
dation of their hope. But they see not that their
foundation is only like the image of iron and clay in
h Rom. x. 2, 3. i Gal. v. 3.
108 GALATIANS, III. 19. [2065.
Nebuchadnezzar's vision ; the parts of which could
never cohere, nor form any permanent basis for the
superincumbent weight. Others rather think to
enter into a composition with the Lord, and agree to
render him service, if he will impart to them salva
tion. Thus, though they do not expressly unite their
merits with his, they make their obedience the
ground on which they hope for an interest in him ;
and, to a certain degree, a price, which they propose
to pay for it. It never occurs to them, that they
have nothing but sin and misery to present to him ;
and that therefore their entire hope must be in his
sovereign grace and mercy. They forget that they
are to receive all " without money and without
price." Others refine yet more ; and, conceiving
themselves willing to give to the Lord Jesus all the
glory of their salvation, they only look to themselves
for their warrant to believe in him : either they dare
not go to him, because they are so vile, and therefore
they will endeavour to make themselves better, in
order that they may venture into his presence, and
indulge a hope of acceptance with him ; or, they have
a good hope that he will apply to them all the bene
fits of his passion, because they have not transgressed
beyond the common bounds of human frailty. But
the plain answer to all these delusions is this : Sal
vation must be wholly of works, or wholly of grace :
as the Apostle has said, " If it be of grace, then is it
no more of works ; otherwise grace is no more grace.
But if it be of works, then is it no more grace ; other
wise work is no more workV You perceive, there
fore, that you must not attempt to blend the two
covenants in any respect : if you cleave in any degree
to the covenant of works, you can have nothing to do
with the covenant of grace : if you come not solely,
and with your whole hearts, to the Lord Jesus Christ,
to be saved by his blood and righteousness, laying
aside and renouncing every other hope, you must go
back to the covenant of works, and seek for accept
ance through it. But do you not hear the law? Do
k Rom. xi. C.
2065.] FIRST USE OF THE LAW. 109
you not hear how inflexible it is in its demands, and
how inexorable in its denunciations ? Alter it you
cannot, in any respect ; obey it you must, if you will
still found your hopes on it in any measure or de
gree : and therefore it is your wisdom to adopt the
determination of St. Paul, and to seek henceforth to
" be found in Christ ; not having your own righteous
ness, which is of the law, but the righteousness which
is of God by faith in Christ1."
What now becomes us in this view of the law ?
what, indeed, but humiliation and contrition in the
deepest degree ? We must see how many curses
hang over our devoted heads. We must not merely
look at our grosser violations of the law, but at our
defects : for " the wrath of God is revealed against
all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men ;" and
every transgression, whether by commission or omis
sion, whether by excess or defect, will receive its
just recompence of reward. Let it be granted, then,
that our lives have been blameless, as far as respects
outward sin : still, if we judge ourselves by the per
fect law of God, our sins will be found more than can
be numbered, and greater than can be conceived.
When we compare ourselves with some of our fellow-
creatures, who trample underfoot all the laws of God
and man, we appear to be very worthy characters :
and such we are in the sight of man ; but in the sight
of God there is by no means so great a difference
between us as we are apt to imagine. In estimating
our character, and weighing our comparative worth,
God may see less indeed of gross iniquity, but a far
more abundant measure of spiritual sins, which are
not a whit less hateful in his eyes. Suppose it all
true which the self-applauding Pharisee affirmed, that
he had been no extortioner, not unjust, and no adul
terer ; did he not make ample compensation for this,
by his pride, his self-complacency, his uncharitable-
ness ? Yes, in truth ; these weighed as much in the
scales of heaven, as the grosser evils from which he
was exempt. Had he tried himself by a just standard,
i Phil. iii. 9.
110 GALATIANS, III. 19. [2065.
he would have found but little reason for his self-
preference and self-applause : he would have seen
that his boasted righteousness was as defective as
that of the poor Publican : and the only difference
between the two, supposing the one to have been as
good as he imagined, and the other as evil as was
supposed, was, that the one was a painted sepulchre,
and the other a sepulchre without paint. I must not,
indeed, be understood to say, that gross carnal sins
do not add to the criminality of the person in whom
they are found ; but only, that, supposing one person
to abound more in carnal filthiness, and another in
spiritual, the latter, to say the least, has as little rea
son to glory in himself, or to trust in his own righte
ousness, as the former. The point to which we must
all look for real humiliation is, the defectiveness of
our obedience. Let this be seen, and seen too in all
its aggravated character, as against a God of infinite
love and mercy ; against a Saviour who has assumed
our nature, and laid down his life for us ; against the
Holy Spirit, who, by his gracious influences, has
striven with us all our days, to guide us aright, and
to bring us to repentance : let it be seen, also, as
against light and knowledge, against vows and reso
lutions, against judgments and mercies ; and, further,
as continued in, for years, without any shame or re
morse : let our impenitence also be marked, and our
proud rejection of God's proffered mercy in Christ
Jesus : let all this be viewed ; and we shall see little
reason to value ourselves on not having committed
some of the grossest sins : we shall see that our ini
quities have grown up unto heaven ; and that they
must sink us into everlasting perdition, if God do
not, in the multitude of his tender mercies, interpose
for our deliverance, and make " his grace to super-
abound, where our sins have so greatly abounded."
We shall see, that to call ourselves the chief of sin
ners, is not merely a kind of modest and becoming
saying, which, whilst it sounds well from the lips,
needs not be felt in the heart ; but that it is a charac
ter which belongs to the very best amongst us ; since
2065.] FIRST USE OF THE LAW. Ill
the best man in the universe knows more evil in
himself than he can know of others, except where
the evils have been made notorious by overt acts. If
the law be properly used, the person who thus tries
himself by it will see himself exposed to God's heaviest
judgments, no less than the most flagrant transgressor
in the world : and he will cry for mercy, precisely in
the same manner as Peter did, when sinking in the
waves, " Save, Lord, or I perish ! " Others, who
have not such views of the law, will wonder at him,
and say, ' What can you have done, to call for such
remorse and fear?' But he knows his own desert
before God, and will therefore lie low before him, in
the deepest self-abasement.
This, then, is what I would wish you to do : it is
for this end that I bring the subject before you : it is
for this end that I hold up thus the glass of the law
before your eyes, that you may know your true cha
racter before God. I would not that it should be
said of us, as of the Jews of old, that " we seek
righteousness, and cannot attain to it, because we
seek it not by faith, but, as it were, by the works of
the lawm." I would that it should be a settled prin
ciple in all our minds, that " by the works of the
law shall no flesh living be justified11." O, if we
could but listen to this monitor ! If the warnings
which he gives us be alarming, they still are salu
tary : and it were surely better be warned that our
house is built on sand, than that we should be left to
perish under its ruins. And were a person who per
ceived our danger to withhold the warning, he would
be justly considered by all as accessary to our
destruction.
I am aware that there has been an aspect of seve
rity about this part of my subject; of severity, which
I would gladly have avoided, if it had been com
patible with that fidelity which became me. But I
speak to an audience who can distinguish between
the harsh anathemas of man, and the authoritative
declarations of Almighty God. If, indeed, I have put
m Rom. ix. 31, 32. » Rom. iii. 20.
112 GALATIANS, III. 19. [20GG.
a harsher sense upon God's word than it manifestly
imports, I will be contented that all the blame, which
such an inconsiderate proceeding would deserve,
shall attach to me. But, if I have spoken only what
God himself has authorized and enjoined, and what
will assuredly be found true at the last, then let me
hope, that the salutary warning will be kindly re
ceived ; and that you will be the better prepared for
our next subject, wherein a balm will be applied to
every wound, and a refuge opened for every one that
would flee from the wrath to come. To that I look
forward, as to a subject far more congenial with my
feelings than the terrors of the law. To bring for
ward the glad tidings of salvation, and to proclaim
mercy through the sufferings of our incarnate God,
is, I trust, the joy and delight of my soul. From the
first moment that ever a dispensation was committed
to me to preach the Gospel, " I have determined to
know nothing in my ministrations but Jesus Christ,
and him crucified." O that in my next I may be
enabled to commend Him to you, as a suitable and
all-sufficient Saviour ! And if, through what has
been already spoken, any of you be pricked in your
hearts, and be stirred up to cry, " What shall we do
to be saved?" may the answer, that shall be given
you in my next, be accompanied with a blessing
from on high, and prove " the power of God unto
salvation to every one that hears it0!"
0 Rom. i. 16.
MMLXVI.
THE LAW, A SCHOOLMASTER, TO BRING US TO CHRIST.
Gal. iii. 19. Wherefore then serveth the laiv?
WE are now arrived at the second use of the law,
which is very strongly pointed out in the passage
before us. The law itself has been explained as spi
ritual ; and as extending to the whole of man's duty,
whether to God or man. This, as you have heard,
2066.] THE LAW BRINGS US TO CHRIST. 113
was originally given to man as a covenant of life :
and, if man had obeyed it perfectly, it would have
given him a title to life. But to man in his fallen
state, " that which was ordained to life is found to be
unto death." The first use, therefore, of the law now
is, as a monitor, to guard us against adhering to the
first covenant. The second use is as an instructor,
to guide us to a better covenant*. And it is in this
view that I am to speak of it at this time.
You will perceive that I exclude from my discus
sion every thing which does not immediately belong
to my argument. The subject itself is exceedingly
extensive, and might easily be pursued through a
great variety of branches, all useful and important in
their place. But to prosecute it to this extent would
be to weaken the general impression. I wish the
whole of what I shall have to offer to be an answer
to the question specified in the words before us,
" Wherefore then serveth the law?" To shew what
the law is, was necessary of course : so that the
exhibition of that was no deviation from my plan, but
rather indispensable to the prosecution of it. And
my strict adherence to this line, if it appear to leave
out much which might enrich the subject, will have
this advantage at least, that it will simplify the sub
ject. And, in truth, after having so solemnly prepared
your minds for it in the first discourse, I should feel
that I were criminally inattentive to your feelings, if
I did not labour to the uttermost to keep that alone
in view which I then described to be of so much
importance.
To open, then, that part of the subject on which I
am now entering, I must shew, in the first place,
What we refer to as that better covenant ; and then,
How the law, as an instructor, guides us to it.
First, What do we mean by that better covenant ?
What better covenant has God given us ? You will
naturally say, Let us know, distinctly, what the cove
nant is ? With whom it was made ? In what respects
a vcr. 24.
VOL. XVII. 1
114 GALATIANS, III. 19. [2066.
it is a better covenant ? And, after all, what it has to
do with the subject before us ?
To these points I will briefly address myself in
succession.
What the covenant is,, the Prophet Jeremiah will
inform us : " Behold, the days come, saith the Lord,
that I will make a new covenant with the house of
Israel and with the house of Judah : not according to
the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day
when I took them by the hand to lead them out of
the land of Egypt ; which my covenant they brake,
although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord:
but this is the covenant that I will make with the
house of Israel ; After those days, saith the Lord, I
will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in
their hearts ; and I will be their God, and they shall
be my people V But has this any thing to do with us
under the Christian dispensation ? Yes : twice does
the Apostle quote that very passage in the Epistle
to the Hebrews0 ; expressly declaring, in both places,
that it is that very covenant which we, under the
Gospel dispensation, are supposed to have embraced.
But when, and with whom, was this covenant
made ? It is that covenant which God made with
Abraham, when he promised to him, that "in his
seed should all the nations of the earth be blessed d."
St. Peter, addressing the Jews of his day, says, " Ye
are the children of the Prophets, and of the covenant
which God made with our fathers, saying unto
Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of
the earth be blessed6."
But what have we to do with it ? St. Paul tells us,
it is the Gospel covenant, whereby we, and every one
under the Gospel dispensation, must be saved : "The
Scripture," says he, " foreseeing that God would jus
tify the heathen through faith, preached before the
Gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations
be blessedf."
b Jer. xxxi. 31 — 33. c Heb. viii. 8—10. and x. 15—17.
d Gen. xviii. 18. xxii. 18. xxvi. 4. e Acts iii. 25.
f Gal. iii. 8.
206(3. J THE LAW BRINGS US TO CHRIST. 115
But in what respects is this a better covenant ? It
is by God himself called " a better covenant :" and
well does it deserve that name ; since, as he tells us,
it is " established upon better promises." The cove
nant, so far as it was a national covenant, made with
the Jewish people, promised nothing but temporal
blessings ; and, as made with Adam in Paradise, and
with all mankind in him, it promised nothing but upon
perfect obedience. But the new covenant engages to
supply our every want : it points out a Saviour to
us ; and makes over to us, not pardon only, but
purity ; assuring us, that God will send to us his
Holy Spirit, to renew us after the Divine image ; and
to give us, not heaven only, but also a meetness for
the enjoyment of it. One of its principal provisions
is, "A new heart will I give unto you, and a new
spirit will I put within you." In a word, the covenant
of works required every thing, and imparted nothing :
whereas the covenant of grace imparts every thing,
and requires nothing, except that we should receive
thankfully what God offers to us freely, in the Son
of his love. (Of course, in the free offers of God I
include the new heart, of which I have just spoken,
and the entire sanctification of the life as flowing from
it.) I may add, too, that the new covenant has a
better Mediator. Moses, the mediator of the cove
nant of works, could do nothing for his people, but
make known to them what God had revealed to him :
whereas our Mediator, the Lord Jesus Christ, is ever
living to intercede for us with the Father ; and has in
himself a fulness treasured up for us, a fulness of all
that we ever can stand in need of. In fact, he is not
a Mediator only of the covenant, but a " Surety of
itg" also : and he engages with us for God, and with
God for us : with us for God, that " he shall never
depart from us to do us good ;" and with God for us,
that " he will put his fear in our hearts, so that we
shall never depart from himh." This, I say, is the
very covenant which he makes with us : and it is from
8 Heb. vii. 22. h jer. xxxii. 40
116 GALATIANS, ILL 19. [2066.
this that we derive all our hopes both of grace and
glory1.
You will still ask, What, after all, has this to do
with the argument before us ? I answer, It is the
covenant which St. Paul declares to have been made
with Abraham for the benefit of himself and all his
believing posterity ; and which he therefore calls
us to lay hold on, in order that we may be delivered
from the curse entailed on us by the first covenant.
Hear his own statement, in the passage which on the
last occasion we considered : "All," says he, " are
cursed by the law :" but " Christ has redeemed us
from that curse, that the blessing of Abraham might
come on the Gentiles, through Jesus Christ." Then,
lest we should think that the Abrahamic covenant
was superseded by that which was afterwards made
with Moses, he observes, that it could not be disan
nulled by any transaction that took place with Moses
on Mount Sinai, because only one of the parties that
were interested in it was present on that occasion.
Then comes his question, " Wherefore, then, serveth
the law ? " And this he answers by observing, that
" it was added because of trangressions, till the seed
should come to whom the promise was made ;" or, in
other words, that it was to be introductory to a new
covenant, and to prepare men for their admission
into it. Still, however, as there was, in appearance,
an opposition between the two covenants, he asks,
" Is the law then against the promises of God ?
No : God forbid ! " says he : " for if there had been
a law given which could have given life, verily
righteousness should have been by the law. But
the Scripture hath concluded (shut up) all under sin,
that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be
given to them that believe. But before faith came,
we were kept (kept in close custody) under the law,
shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be
revealed. Wherefore the law, so far from keeping us
from Christ to be justified by works, was actually our
schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be
* Sec Heb. x. 14—17.
2066.] THE LAW BRINGS US TO CHRIST. 117
justified by faith" Hence he concludes, that, "faith
being now come, we are no longer under a school
master, but are all the children of God by faith in
Christ Jesus."
We see, then, what the better covenant is, and
wherein its superiority consists ; the one being a
covenant of works, and the other, of grace. We
see, also, that the covenant of works, though re-
published four hundred and thirty years after the
covenant made with Abraham, was not intended to
supersede the covenant of grace, but to be sub
servient to it, and to shut up men to it, and to
constrain them to embrace it.
I am fearful of obscuring the subject by multiply
ing citations of Holy Writ : I will, therefore, close this
part with merely adducing one passage as explana
tory of the whole. St. Paul, contrasting the two
covenants, represents each of them as declaring to
us its own terms, precisely in the way that I have
done : " Moses describeth the righteousness of the
law, That the man that doeth those things shall live
by them. But the righteousness of faith speaketh on
this wise : Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend
into heaven ? (that is to bring Christ down from
above :) or, Who shall descend into the deep ? (that
is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But
what saith it ? The word is nigh thee, even in thy
mouth, and in thine heart ; that is, the word of fait ft.
which we preach ; that if thou shalt confess with thy
mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine
heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou
shalt be saved : for with the heart man believeth unto
righteousness ; and with the mouth confession is made
unto salvation k."
Having then shewn what this better covenant is, I
now come to shew how the law, as an instructor,
guides us to this better covenant ; or, as my text
expresses it, how it is " a schoolmaster, to bring us to
Christ, that we may be justified by faith."
It must ever be borne in mind, that the law can
k lloin. x. 5 — 10.
118 . GALATIANS, III. 19. [2066.
never be set aside : in its requirements, and in its
sanctions, it is unalterable, even as God himself is.
It is holy, and can never abate of its commands ; it
is just, and can never mitigate its sanctions ; it is
good, and must eternally continue so, whatever may
become of those who are subject to its dominion. In
every thing which it requires, its direct tendency is,
to promote the honour of God, and the happiness of
man ; and, if it become an occasion of unhappiness
to any, it is only through their own perverseness in
violating its commands. Being, then, thus immutable,
what does it say to us ? It says, ' The curse I have
denounced, must be inflicted ; and the commands I
have given must be obeyed. If there be any person
found to endure the one for you, and to fulfil the
other, and God be pleased to accept him in your be
half, it is well. But without such a deference to my
rights, and such a regard to my honour, shall no flesh
living be saved. I must " be magnified and made
honourable1" in the eyes of the whole creation, before
any child of man shall find acceptance with Him from
whom I proceeded, and whose authority I maintain m.'
Thus, so to speak, the law puts us upon looking
out for a Saviour. But where shall one be found that
answers to this character, or can by any means sus
tain this office ? Where shall we find one who is
capable of bearing the wrath of Almighty God ?
Where shall we find one that is capable of obeying
in all things the perfect law of God ? And, above
all, where shall we find one that can do these things
for us ? A creature must sink under the wrath of
God : for that wrath is everlasting. There can never
1 Isai. xlii. 21.
m The dialogue form, which the Apostle makes use of in this pas
sage, has been adopted by the Author in this and the preceding Dis
course, in order to compress a great mass of materials into the smallest
possible space, and to employ them, as he hopes, to the greatest pos
sible advantage. He is aware that the style is unusual in this species
of composition (it is unusual even in his own writings) : but if it
convey the truth more forcibly, he hopes it may on this occasion be
excused. The same form of dialogue, with all its abruptness, is used
also by the Apostle, in the third chapter to the Romans.
2066.] THE LAW BRINGS US TO CHRIST. 119
come a period when that curse shall end, and the cup
which the sinner is doomed to drink of shall be ex
hausted. So also, if a creature, even the highest
archangel, were to subject himself to the controul of
the law, he could obey only for himself. As a crea
ture, he would be bound to fulfil all that the law has
enjoined : he could do nothing beyond what was ab
solutely required ; and therefore, after all, he would
be only an unprofitable servant. He could not obey
for others : he could not exceed what was due from
himself. The only thing that could give the slightest
hope to man, so far at least as has ever been re
vealed, would be, for God himself to put himself in
the place of sinners, and in their nature to suffer and
obey for them. But how could this be hoped ? How
could such a thought as this be entertained, for a
moment, in the bosom of God, or in the mind of any
of his creatures ? Were this possible, there might
indeed be a hope ; because the dignity of the sufferer
would put a value on his sufferings, sufficient to over
balance the eternal sufferings of the whole world ;
and the obedience paid by the Lawgiver himself, who
could be under no obligation to obey it, till he had
assumed our nature for that very end, would be suffi
cient to form a justifying righteousness for all the
sinners of mankind. But how can such a thing be
contemplated for a moment ? How can it come
within the verge of probability — I might almost say,
of possibility ? But, whatever be thought of this
matter, the law says, ' I can consent to no lower
terms than these. Suppose such a plan sanctioned,
approved, and executed by the Almighty himself,
then I can consent to the salvation of sinners ; yea,
I can not only consent to it, but highly approve of it ;
because, by having Jehovah himself enduring my
penalties, and executing my commands, I shall be
infinitely more glorified than I ever could have been
either by the obedience or condemnation of the whole
human race. Let but such a covenant as this be
made and executed on God's part, and I consent that
you shall be saved by it ; yea, and that you shall
120 GALATIANS, III. 19. [2066.
receive a weight of glory far beyond what you ever
could have received, if you had never fallen/
Such hints we may suppose to be given by the
law. And now we look into the Gospel, to find
whether such an idea ever was, or could be, realized.
And behold, with what amazement must we see that
such a plan has actually been devised and executed
by Almighty God ! Can it be indeed, that God has
assumed our nature, and obeyed and suffered in our
stead, and wrought out a righteousness for us, that,
being clothed in it, we may stand without spot or
blemish before him ? Yes ; it is true : " God has
been manifest in the flesh," and " made in all things
like unto us, sin only excepted :" he has also fulfilled
the law in its utmost possible extent : he has, more
over, " borne our sins in his own body on the tree,"
and for our sakes " become obedient unto death, even
the death of the cross." " To redeem us from the
curse of the law, he has actually become a curse for
us :" yes, " He, who knew no sin, has become sin for
us ; that we, who had, and could have, no righteous
ness, might be made the righteousness of God in him."
This point, then, being clearly ascertained, let us hear
our divine instructor, and sit at the feet of this hea
venly " schoolmaster'' Methinks I hear the law
saying to me, ' You have heard the strictness of my
demands, and the awfulness of my denunciations :
now hear the end for which I have so proclaimed
both the one and the other : it has been to shew you
your need of a Saviour ; it has been to make you
welcome this Saviour, and embrace him with your
whole hearts. Had I been less strict in my demands,
or less awful in my denunciations, you would still
have adhered to me, and founded your hopes on me.
But I have thundered thus, in order to drive you to
despair of ever finding acceptance through me ; and
to urge you, with all possible speed and earnestness,
to lay hold on the hope set before you in the Gospel.'
Let me now suppose one to ask, ' But how shall I
go to the Saviour ? How shall I obtain an interest in
him ? How shall I procure his favour? What would
2066.] THE LAW BRINGS US TO CHRIST. 121
he have me do, in order to recommend myself to
him11?' In reply to all these anxious inquiries, our
"schoolmaster "gives us this important information : —
' You must not attempt to recommend yourselves to
him by any works whatever : you must go ignorant,
that you may be enlightened ; guilty, that you may
be pardoned ; polluted, that you may be purified ;
enslaved, that you may experience his complete re
demption. You must carry nothing to him but your
wants and miseries ; and expect nothing at his hands
but as the fruit of his mediation, and as the free gift
of God for his sake. You must renounce every thing
of your own ; and desire to " have him made all unto
you, your wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctifica-
tion, and redemption, that to all eternity you may
glory in the Lord alone0." If you entertain the idea
of meriting or earning any thing at his hands by your
own good works, you will only come back to me,
and be dealt with according to the terms proposed
by me. You must disclaim all thought of this ; and
be content to be saved by grace alone, and to receive
every thing out of the fulness that is treasured up in
Christ. For this end, you must trust in him, and live
altogether by faith in him. You well know how a
branch receives every thing from the stock into which
it has been engrafted : precisely thus must you re
ceive from him all the blessings both of grace and
glory. You must by faith abide in him : and, by
virtue derived from him, bring forth fruit to the glory
of his name. This is a way of salvation both suited
to you, and honourable to God: it is suited to you,
because it provides every thing for you as a free gift :
and it is honourable to God, because, whilst it pre
serves my honour inviolate, it exalts and glorifies
every perfection of the Deity. I charge you, then,
embrace the covenant which Christ has ratified with
his blood : exercise faith in him : look to him as the
procuring cause of all your blessings. And be not
discouraged by any sense of your own unworthiness ;
but go to him as the very chief of sinners, that you
11 John vi. 28. ° 1 Cor. i. 30, 31.
122 GALATIANS, III. 19. [2066.
may be made the brightest monuments of his grace.
f( It was for sinners that he came, to call them to re
pentance :" it was " the lost, and them alone, whom he
came to save :" and the more deeply you feel your need
of him, the more readily will he receive you to the
arms of mercy : for his address to persons in your very
state is, " Come unto me, all ye that labour and are
heavy-laden, and I will give you rest :" " though your
sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow ; though
they be red as crimson, they shall be as wool:" " him
that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out."'
And now, after having heard the advice given by
the law, shall I go too far, if I entreat you all to sit
at the feet of this schoolmaster, as his disciples ? I
grant, that there is an aspect of severity about him :
but he will teach you aright. He is sent by God
himself for your instruction : and all who will obey
his dictates shall assuredly be guided into the way
of peace. Other instructors, beside the law, you
will find in great numbers, who will speak to you in
milder terms, and accommodate themselves more to
your carnal minds. But O ! listen not to them.
Many pleasing statements they will give, about the
value of good works, and the mercy of God, and
about the Saviour having lowered the terms of sal
vation to sincere obedience. But they will only de
ceive you to your ruin. Take their favourite term,
of sincere obedience : 110 matter whether it be to the
moral law, or to a reduced and mitigated law of their
own formation : let it be a law of any kind that can
possibly be conceived to have proceeded from God ;
and then suppose yourselves to stand or fall by your
sincere obedience to that law : where is there one
amongst you that ever could be saved ? If this is
the standard by which you are to be tried, it has
been so from the beginning of your life : and where
is there one amongst us that has from the beginning
of his life sincerely striven with all his might to mor
tify every inclination which his judgment condemned ;
and to fulfil, to the uttermost, every duty, both to
God and man, so far as he was acquainted with it, or
2086.] THE LAW BRINGS US TO CHRIST. 123
might have been acquainted with it, if he had sincerely
improved every opportunity of gaining instruction ?
Who has from his earliest youth acted up fully to the
light that he has enjoyed, and done every thing which
he knew or believed to be required of him ? Nay,
who would dare to stand upon this ground for any
one day of his life, and consent that his everlasting
doom should be determined by the issue of such a
trial? Know, then, that these blind instructors will,
if listened to, betray you to your everlasting ruin.
Some there are, who, " unable to endure sound doc
trine," will labour to shew, that all which is spoken
in the Gospel about faith in Christ means no more
than a general belief of his word ; and that, after all,
salvation is, and must be, in part at least, by the
works of the law. But, if any man will say that
Christ hath either repealed or mitigated, let him shew
us what law that is which Christ has repealed, or
mitigated, and reduced to the standard of human
capacity to obey it. But this no man on earth can
shew. The law is unalterable, both in its demands
and sanctions ; and if we will but listen to it as our
instructor, it will guide us infallibly to the Saviour
of the world. It will tell you plainly, ' I cannot
save you, either in whole or in part : but the Lord
Jesus Christ both can, and will, if you will believe
in him. And, if you needed an intercessor with the
Father to receive you for Christ's sake, I myself,
if permitted to be heard, would become your friend :
yes, I, who have denounced so many curses against
you, would willingly become your advocate. If suf
fered to address the Most High, I would say, Thou
thyself, O God, didst appoint thy Son Jesus Christ
to be their Surety : and HE has paid to me the
utmost farthing of their debt. Did I demand, that
all the curses which the violation of my precepts
merited, should be inflicted ? they have been borne by
him. Did I require that perfect obedience should be
rendered to my commands ? it has been rendered by
him. Only admit Him, therefore, as their Surety, and
I have nothing to demand at their hands : or rather
124 GALATIANS, III. 19. [2066.
my demand must be, that they who plead the obe
dience of the Lord Jesus Christ for them, may stand
accepted through his righteousness ; and may be
rewarded with eternal life, precisely as they would
have been, if they had themselves fulfilled all that I
required of them. Nay, I would even go further,
and ask, that they may be recompensed with a higher
degree of glory than they ever could have attained
by their own obedience ; because the obedience and
sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ their Saviour have
done infinitely greater honour to me than ever could
have been done either by the obedience or sufferings
of the whole world.'
Listen, then, I entreat you, to the counsels of this
instructor. They are safe : nor can they be resisted,
but at the peril of your souls. Only get a clear
understanding of that question, " Wherefore, then,
serveth the law ?" and then you will be prepared
for all the blessings of the Gospel, and find in Christ
all that your necessities require.
An illustration of my whole subject shall now place
it in a point of view in which it cannot possibly be
misapprehended. O that God may be graciously
pleased to open all our hearts, to discern, to embrace,
to realize the truth as it shall now be exhibited be
fore you ! We have supposed you all to be condemned
by the law ; and to be precisely in the condition of
the Israelites when bitten by the fiery serpents ; inca
pable of restoring yourselves to health, or of finding
any healing balm in the whole universe. What now
shall be done ? Death is sweeping you off in quick
succession ; and, ah ! whither is it bearing you ? But
for you, who are yet alive, can no remedy be found ?
Yes : Moses shall point out a remedy ; — that very
Moses, who gave the law, and denounced the curse
against all who should transgress it; — that very Moses,
I say, shall be your instructor and counsellor : and
" if you believe Moses, you shall believe in Christ."
By God's command he erected a brazen serpent ; and
proclaimed the joyful tidings, that all who should look
2066.] THE LAW BRINGS US TO CHRIST. 125
unto it should be saved. The opportunity was gladly
embraced by the perishing multitudes, and the means
were instantly crowned with the desired success.
And happy am I to say, that at this very moment is
that transaction renewed in the midst of you. You are
all dying of the wounds of sin. Not a creature in the
universe can render you the least assistance towards
a recovery from your perishing condition. But the
Lord Jesus Christ is this day " set forth crucified in
the midst of you :" and the law itself, yes, the law
itself, I say, directs you to Him, as God's appointed
ordinance for your salvation. This day does the law
proclaim itself as your instructor, " to bring you to
Christ, that you may be justified by faith in him."
And is this an illustration of mine ? Is the compari
son between the two a mere accidental coincidence ?
No : the one was intended, by God himself, to be an
illustration of the other. Hear the application of this
record, as it was made by our Lord Jesus Christ him
self: " As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilder
ness, even so shall the Son of Man be lifted up, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but
have everlasting life." View, then, the Saviour this
day erected on the cross ; and hear him addressing
you in these gracious terms, " Look unto me, and be
ye saved, all the ends of the earth ! for I am God,
and there is none else," " no Saviour beside mep."
Thus, then, you see that both the law and the
Gospel, if properly understood, speak the same lan
guage. Both the one and the other say, " Believe
in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved."
" All that believe in him are justified from all things."
" In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified,
and shall glory." May God Almighty discover to us
all this blessed truth, and give us the sweet expe
rience of it in our own souls ! Sure I am, that, if
our last discourse placed the law in a terrific view,
you cannot now do otherwise than behold it as a
most faithful counsellor and friendly instructor : and,
v Isai. xlv. 22.
126 GALATiANS, III. 19. [2067.
if it please God to accompany his word with power
to your souls, you will have reason to bless God for
every wound that has been inflicted ; and will enter
fully into our next discourse, with a determination,
through grace, that, whilst you flee from the law as
a covenant, you will not neglect it as a rule of life ;
but will rather " delight in it in your inward man,"
and aspire after the most perfect conformity to it in
the whole of your deportment.
MMLXVII.
THE THIRD USE OF THE LAW, AS A RULE OF LIFE.
Gal. iii. 19. Wherefore then serveth the law ?
THE last use of the law being now to be contem
plated, we shall set before you the law as a rule to
govern us, when we have embraced the new covenant.
And it is with peculiar pleasure that I enter upon this
subject, because there exists at this day, precisely
as there did in the apostolic age, a jealousy upon
the subject of good works, and a fear lest the free
salvation of the Gospel should render men indifferent
to them. You will remember, that St. Paul's state
ments gave occasion to men to ask, " Shall we, then,
continue in sin, that grace may abounda?" And the
same thoughts may possibly have arisen in your
minds, whilst I have with all the clearness in my
power, shewn, that we are not, in any degree what
ever, to seek justification by the works of the law,
but solely and exclusively by faith in Christ. I did,
indeed, endeavour to guard against such thoughts,
by intimating, in the very first instance, that there
was a third end and use of the law, namely, to be a
rule of life to the believer : but had I been less
guarded in this respect, and left this point to be de
veloped afterwards, without any previous intimation
of my purpose, I fear that the same objections, as
a Rom. vi. 1.
2067.] USE OF THE LAW, AS A RULE OF LIFE. 127
were urged against the Apostle's statements., would
have greatly enervated mine, and prevented that
favourable reception which I hope, through the ten
der mercy of God, they have met with in your minds.
But I have longed for the present occasion, that I
might vindicate the Gospel from the charge of licen
tiousness ; and prove, to the satisfaction of you all,
that it is indeed, what the Apostle calls it, " a doc
trine according to godliness."
St. Paul was at all times most anxious to guard
against a misconception of his sentiments and con
duct on account of his neglect of the ceremonial law.
The one great object of his ministry was, to win
souls to Christ. For the advancement of this end,
he conformed, in all matters of indifference, to the
views of those amongst whom he ministered ; " to the
Jews, becoming a Jew ; to those who were under the
law, as under the law ; and to those who were with
out law, as without law." But, fearing lest these
compliances of his might be construed as a contempt
of the divine authority, he took care to remove all
ground for such an idea, by declaring, that he still
considered himself as much bound to obey God as
ever ; or, rather, that he felt himself under additional
obligations to fulfil all the divine commands, in con
sideration of the unbounded mercy that had been
vouchsafed to him through Jesus Christ. He had, it
is true, neglected the observances of the law : but it
had not been from any disrespect to God's com
mands, but because that law was in fact abrogated ;
whereas the moral law was as much in force as ever :
and to the latest hour of his life he should look upon
himself as " under that law to Christ V
This acknowledgment of his comes fully to our
point. It shews, that he still regarded the law as a
rule of life ; and it gives me a fair opportunity,
1st, To establish the perpetuity of the law, as a
rule of life ; and,
2dly, To enforce its obligations.
b 1 Cor. ix. 21.
128 GALAT1ANS, III. 19. [2067.
I. In order to establish the perpetuity of the law
as a rule of life, let it be remembered, that the law is
a perfect transcript of the mind and will of God. It
arises necessarily out of the relation which we bear
to him and to each other. It did not depend on any
arbitrary appointment of the Deity, (except, indeed,
so far as the Sabbath is concerned,) but would have
been equally in force whether it had been the subject
of a particular revelation or not. Allowance, indeed,
will, as St. Paul informs us, be made for those, who,
for want of a revelation, have but very imperfect con
ceptions respecting the Divine willc : but, wherever
that is known, it must be a rule of conduct to man,
and will be a rule of judgment to God. No change
of circumstances whatever can alter its demands. In
whatever situation we be, it must be our duty to
love God with all our heart, and our neighbour as
ourselves : nor can this law by any means be dis
pensed with. In truth, God cannot dispense with any
part of this law ; for if he did, he would authorize
men to despoil themselves of his image, and to rob him
of his glory.
That the law is still a rule of duty to the people
of God, appears from that injunction of St. Paul, in
the thirteenth chapter to the Romans : " Owe no
man any thing, but to love one another : for he that
loveth another hath fulfilled the law." Then, specify
ing the duties contained in the second table of the law
as essential constituents of true love, he adds, " Love
worketh no ill to his neighbour : therefore love is the
fulfilling of the law*." Consequently, if it is our duty
to exercise love, it is our duty to fulfil the law,
which is in all respects identified with love.
But to insist on this is needless : for, instead of
the law being superseded by the Lord Jesus Christ, it
is in his hand more imperative than ever, and comes
to us with tenfold obligations to obey it : and this is
the point to which I mean to call your particular
attention. To say that " we are not without law to
God," is comparatively a small matter : the point I
c Rom. ii. M, 15. d Horn. xiii. 8 — 10.
2067.] USE OF THE LAW, AS A RULE OF LIFE. 129
am to establish is, that " we are under the law to
Christ."
In confirmation of this, I assert, that our obedience
to the law was contemplated by God himself: first,
in all that Christ did and suffered for us ; next, in his
liberating of us from the law as a covenant of works ;
and, lastly, in his admission of us into a new covenant,
the covenant of grace.
First, I say, our obedience to the law was one great
object which our Lord and Saviour had in view, in
all that he did and suffered for us. It was not from
death only that he came to save us, but from sin.
Indeed, he was on that very account " named Jesus,
because he was to save his people from their sins6."
Hear how plainly this was declared concerning him,
even before he came into the world : " Zacharias, the
father of John the Baptist, when filled with the Holy
Ghost, prophesied, saying, Blessed be the Lord God
of Israel ; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us
to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to
remember his holy covenant ; the oath which he sware
to our father Abraham, that he would grant unto us,
that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies,
MIGHT SERVE HIM without fear, in holiness and righteous
ness before him all the days of our life*" This clearly
shews, that, instead of " making void the law, Christ
has established " its authority to the very end of time.
And to this agrees the testimony of St. Paul : " He
gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all
iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people,
zealous of good works." And again, expressly advert
ing to the government which Jesus still maintains
over his people, he says, " None of us liveth to him
self, and no man dieth to himself: for whether we
live, we live unto the Lord; or whether we die, we
die unto the Lord : whether we live therefore, or
die, we are the Lord's : FOR to this end Christ both
died, and rose, and revived, that he might be the Lord
both of the dead and living^."
e Matt. i. 21. f Luke i. 67 — 75. z Rom. xiv. 7, 8.
VOL. XVII. K
130 GALATIANS, III. 19. [2067.
Next I say, that our obedience to the law was a
most important end, for which we are liberated from
the law as a covenant of works. This is repeatedly
asserted by St. Paul. In the eighth chapter of his
Epistle to the Romans, he says, " The law of the
spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from
the law of sin and death :" (that is, the Gospel hath
freed me from the law :) " for what the law could not
do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, send
ing his own Son, in the likeness of sinful flesh, and
for sin, hath condemned sin in the flesh :" (and now
observe for what end) — " that the righteousness of the
law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the
flesh, but after the Spirit11." The law could neither
justify nor sanctify us : the Gospel does both : and
the very end for which Christ has liberated us from
the law, was, that both these ends might be accom
plished in us.
To this I will add a passage, which needs no expla
nation : it is so clear, so precise, so full to the point,
that it leaves no doubt upon the subject. St. Paul,
speaking of his own experience, says, " I, through
the law, am dead to the law, that I might live unto
God1." Here you perceive that it was the law itself
which made him dead to the law. It was so rigo
rous in its demands, and so awful in its sanctions,
that he utterly despaired of obtaining salvation by it ;
and, in this view, became wholly dead to it. But did
he therefore neglect it as a rule of life ? Quite the
reverse : " Through the law, he was dead to the law,
that he might live unto God" and serve him in new
ness of life.
But there is an illustration of this matter given us
by the Apostle, which places it in a still clearer point
of view ; in a view at once peculiarly beautiful, and
unquestionably just. In the seventh chapter of the
Epistle to the Romans he compares the law to a man
to whom the Church is united, as it were, in the bonds
of marriage. He then observes, that, as a wife is
bound to her husband by the nuptial contract as long
h Rom. viii. 2 — 4. > Gal. ii. 19.
2067.] USE OF THE LAW, AS A RULE OF LIFE. 131
as he lives, arid would be justly called an adulteress if
she were to connect herself with another man during
his life, so are we united in the closest bonds of the
law. But, by the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, and
his satisfying all the demands of that law for us, its
power over us is annulled, and it becomes, from the
very moment of our believing in him, dead with re
spect to us ; so that we are at liberty to be united to
Christ, and to enter into a new covenant with him.
This benefit, he observes, we derive from Christ.
But for what end ? That our obligations to holiness
may be vacated ? No ; by no means ; but the very
reverse : he conveys this benefit, in order that, in our
new-covenant state, we may bring forth that fruit,
which we never did, nor could, bring forth in con
nexion with our former husband. Hear his own
words : " Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to
them that know the law,)" (/ beg you to pay par
ticular attention to this, because it is addressed to
those especially who know the law,} " Know ye not
how that the law hath dominion over a man as long
as he liveth ? For the woman who hath an husband
is bound by the law to her husband so long as he
liveth ; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed
from the law of her husband. So then, if, while her
husband liveth, she be married to another man, she
shall be called an adulteress : but, if her husband be
dead, she is free from that law ; so that she is no
adulteress, though she be married to another man.
Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead
to the law by the body of Christ" (that is, through
the sufferings of Christ, the power of the law over
you is cancelled), " that ye should be married to
another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that
ye should bring forth fruit unto God*." If there were no
other passage in all the Scriptures than this, it would
be quite sufficient, not only to establish the point in
hand, but to silence, for ever, all jealousies respecting
the practical intent and tendency of the Gospel.
But I must go on yet further to observe, in the
k Rom. vii. 1 — 4.
132 GALATIANS, III. 19. [2067.
last place, that our obedience to the law is one of the
chief blessings conferred upon us by the new covenant,
the covenant of grace. You will remember, that the
first covenant merely says, " Do this, and live." It
condemns for disobedience ; but never does any thing
towards enabling us to obey. But what says God to
us in. the new covenant ? " This is the covenant that
I will make with the house of Israel after those days,
saith the Lord : I will put my law into their mind,
and write it in their hearts1." And again, " A new
heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put
within you : and I will take away the stony heart
out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh:
and I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to
walk in my statutes, and to keep my judgments and do
them™." Here, by the very terms of the new covenant,
is obedience to the law infallibly secured ; because
God himself undertakes to work it in us by the in
fluences of his good Spirit. His assured promise to
every one that embraces the new covenant is, " Sin
shall not have dominion over you : for ye are not
under the law, but under grace11."
Hence, then, you see the perpetuity of the law
fully established. It is only in its covenant form
that it is cancelled : as a rule of duty, it is, as I have
before observed, altogether unchangeable : and its
authority, instead of being invalidated by the Gospel,
is confirmed and strengthened by it : since our obe
dience to it was, as I have distinctly shewn, first,
the end for which Christ came into the world; next,
the end for which he delivered us from the law as a
covenant of works; and, lastly, the end for which
he has brought us into the new covenant, the covenant
of grace. In answer, therefore, to every one who
doubts the practical tendency of the Gospel, we are
prepared to say, with the Apostle Paul, " Shall we
sin, because we are not under the law, but under
grace? God forbid0."
Having thus endeavoured, with the utmost plainness,
1 Heb. viii. 10. nl Ezek. xxxvi. 26, 27,
n Rom, vi. 14. ° Rom. vi. lo.
2067.] USE OF THE LAW, AS A RULE OF LIFE. 133
to shew that we are still under the law to Christ, I
come,
In the II. d place, to enforce its obligations.
Is the law designed to be a rule to govern us after
we have laid hold on the covenant of grace ? Let us
use it for that end, without attempting to lower any
one of its demands, and with the utmost cheerful
ness and zeal. Let us, first, use it for that end.
Doubtless, its primary uses must be carefully kept
in remembrance. We must never forget, that its
first office is, to convince us of sin, and to shew us
our undone state, according to the covenant of works.
In this view it must produce in us the deepest humi
liation, and an utter renunciation of all dependence
on our own works, either in whole or in part, for
justification before God. Its next use must be, to
drive us to the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, that
we may obtain salvation through his meritorious
death and passion. There is no righteousness but
his, that is commensurate with its demands ; and
there is no other in which we can ever stand accepted
before God. These things, I say, we must ever bear
in remembrance; and be careful never to make, in any
degree, our obedience to the law a ground of our
hope. But, having this well settled in our minds,
we must address ourselves to a diligent performance
of all that the law enjoins. It is by this that we
are to shew ourselves to have experienced a work of
grace in our souls : for " we are created in Christ
Jesus unto good works, which God hath before or
dained that we should walk in them." If we profess
to hope that we have been "chosen of God" and
" predestinated unto life," shall we make these
mysterious truths an occasion of remissness in the
path of duty ? God forbid : on the contrary, we
must ever bear in mind, that, if we have been chosen
of God at all, " we have been chosen that we may be
holy, and without blame before him in love ;" and if
we have been predestinated by God at all, we have
been predestinated " to be conformed to the image of
his Son" And if we Q\QY\ in the finished work of
134 GALATIANS, III. 19. [2067.
Christ (for you will take notice that I am following
the Antinomian into all his strong-holds), we must
remember what his end was in accomplishing salva
tion for us : " We have been bought with a price,
that we may glorify him with our body and our spirit,
which are his." There are two great errors from
which we must keep equally remote ; namely, from
legal dependence on our own obedience to the law,
and, at the same time, from an Antinomian contempt
of its commands. We must distinguish between the
motives and principles by which we are actuated,
and which determine the true quality of our actions.
Whatever we do, in order to earn salvation by it,
will be rejected of God, and will disappoint our
hopes : but, whatever we do from a sense of duty to
God, and with a view to honour the Saviour and
evince the sincerity of our love to him, will be ac
cepted for his sake, and will receive a proportionable
reward of grace. Only take care that your obedience
be from faith and love, and not from a vain hope to
purchase the Divine favour ; and then will you an
swer the true ends of your deliverance from the law
as a covenant of works, and of your subjection to it
as a rule of life.
In enforcing the obligations of the law, I would
next say, Attempt not in any thing to lower its de
mands. We have before shewn, that, as a covenant,
it recedes not from its commands of perfect obe
dience ; no, not in one jot or tittle of its requirements.
And, as a rule, its requirements are of equal extent.
It enjoins us to love God with all our heart, and all
our mind, and all our soul, and all our strength ; and
to love our neighbour as ourselves : and no lower
standard must we propose to ourselves for our daily
walk. We must not be satisfied with the world's
standard : we must not be contented with a round
of duties, and the performance of a few kind and
charitable acts. " We must die unto sin altogether,
and live unto righteousness." We must seek to have
" the whole body of sin crucified within us;" and must
" delight ourselves in the law after our inward man,"
2067.] USE OF 1IIE LAW> AS A RULE OF LIFE. 135
and strive to " perfect holiness in the fear of God."
Nothing must satisfy us, but the attainment of " God's
perfect image in righteousness and true holiness."
If the law is our rule, Christ himself must be our
pattern : we must endeavour to " walk in all things
as he walked," and to " purify ourselves even as he
is pure." Nothing short of absolute perfection should
satisfy our minds : we should strive to be " holy, as
God himself is holy," and to be " perfect, even as our
Father which is in heaven is perfect."
Now, need I say that these efforts are very rarely
seen ? and that, when seen, they are almost univer
sally discountenanced and discouraged ? Cautions
in plenty are given, " not to be righteous over-much:"
but who ever hears the friendly caution, to "be
righteous enough ?" If we are outwardly decent and
moral, we may be as regardless of the state of our
souls before God as we please, and no one will
warn us of our danger : but, if the love of Christ
constrain us to devote ourselves altogether unto him,
there is a general alarm respecting us ; and nothing
is heard but cautions and warnings on every side.
Let it not be imagined that I would recommend
any thing that savours of real enthusiasm or fana
ticism : so far from it, I would discourage these evils
to the utmost of my power : but, if love to God and
love to man be, by common consent, as it were,
branded with these names, I say, let not any man
be deterred from the performance of his duty by any
opprobrious names whatever ; but let every one
aspire after universal holiness, and seek to "stand
perfect and complete in all the will of Godp."
One thing more would I say ; namely this : In your
obedience to the law, be willing servants. We are not
to serve the Lord " grudgingly, or of necessity," but
" with a willing mind." What St. Paul has spoken
on this head deserves peculiar attention. He says,
" Now we are delivered from the law. that being
y o
dead wherein we were held : that we should serve
P Col. iv. 12.
136 GALATIANS, III. 19. [2067.
God in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of
the letter*" Here he refers to the same image as
before, the dissolution of marriage by the death of
our husband ; and the consequent termination of
those restraints, in which, during his life, we were
held. But what is to be the effect of this liberty ?
an abandonment of ourselves to sin ? No : but an
obeying of our new husband, not in the servile way
to which we have been accustomed, but with real
pleasure and delight, panting after the highest possi
ble perfection both of heart and life. This service
we are to account perfect freedom : and we are to
live altogether for him, "running the way of his com
mandments with enlarged hearts." Now, " where -
ever the Spirit is, there is this liberty1"." But, alas !
how little of this liberty is seen in the Christian
world ! Instead of panting to attain " the full mea
sure of the stature of Christ," we are satisfied with
our own stinted growth ; so that, in the course of
several years, scarcely any improvement is visible in
us. The little we do for the Lord, is rather " from
constraint, than willingly." Our defects create in us
no real humiliation : our weakness stimulates us not
to earnest cries for help : our inability to fulfil our
duty leads us not to exult and glory in the work of
Christ, or to clothe ourselves from day to day with
his perfect righteousness. No : of these feelings,
respecting which I spoke largely in my first dis
course, the generality are wholly destitute ; and
therefore destitute, because they understand not the
law either in its condemning or its commanding
power. Ignorant of the law, they are of necessity
ignorant of the Gospel also ; and, consequently, are
strangers to all those high and holy feelings which
the Gospel inspires. Be it however remembered,
that if, " through the knowledge of the law, we be,
as we must be, dead to the law," we shall account
it our first duty, and our truest happiness, to " live
unto our God."
'i Rom. vii. 6. r 2 Cor. iii. 17.
2067.] USE °F THE LAW> AS A RULE OF LIFE- 13^
Before I close iny subject, I think you will not
deem me presumptuous if I venture to address a few
words to my brethren who either are already in the
ministry, or are preparing to engage in that sacred
office. " I think it must strike you, that this subject
has by no means that prominence in our public ad
dresses which its importance demands. If it be true,
that without the knowledge of the law we cannot
understand the Gospel, the neglect of opening the
law is most injurious to the souls of men. I know,
indeed, that God may, by convincing men of sin,
supply that defect ; and lead them to a simple re
liance on the Saviour, even whilst they are ignorant
of the spirituality of the law, and of the uses for
which it was promulgated : but still they cannot be
truly enlightened Christians ; nor can their faith be
so firm as it would be, if they had more enlarged
views of the Gospel. But how can we hope that
this work of conviction should prevail amongst our
hearers, when we withhold from them God's ap
pointed means of producing it in their souls ? In
truth, this accounts, in a great measure, for the
inefficiency of our ministrations. In numberless
places, during a whole course of years, not so much
as a single instance is found of a sinner being
" pricked to the heart, and crying out, What must
I do to be saved ?" or, if such an instance occur,
it is found only in some one who is condemned by
the mere letter of the law. But it would not be
so, if the law were preached by us in all its spiri
tuality and extent, and the Gospel were represented
as God's only remedy for the salvation of men. A
simple exhibition of these truths would reach the
heart, and would be accompanied with power from
on high. Let me then entreat you, for your own
sake, and for your people's sake, to study the law ;
and to make the use of it which God has especially
ordained, even to drive them, like the pursuer of blood,
to the refuge that is set before them in the Gospel.
If there be amongst us any who yet cannot un-
derstand this subject, let me next address them,
138 GALATIANS, III. 19. [2067.
and entreat that they will not too hastily dismiss it
from their minds : for verily, it demands from every
child of man the most attentive consideration. I
know that prejudices do exist, even as they have in
all ages existed, against both the Law and the
Gospel ; against the Law as severe, and against the
Gospel as licentious. But, to every one of you I
must say, Take heed to this subject : for " it is your
life :" and, in unfolding it to you, I have, with all
possible fidelity, " set life and death before you."
Let the law, I pray you, have its first work in con
vincing you of sin. Let it then operate effectually
to bring you to Christ. And, lastly, let it serve you
as a rule, to which your whole life shall be con
formed. Set not yourselves against it in any one of
these views : set not yourselves against it, as too
harsh in its covenant form, or too lax in its abrogated
state, or too strict in its requirements as a rule : but
improve it for all the ends for which it has been
given ; so shall it work its whole work within you,
and bring you in safety to God, to holiness, to glory.
But I trust there are amongst us not a few who
really " know the law" and approve of it in all its
uses. And to them, lastly, I would address myself.
To them, in particular, I would say, Be sure that you
unreservedly give yourselves up to God. Those who
enter not into your views, will judge both of you
and of your principles by the holiness of your
lives. Let them see in you what the tendency of the
Gospel really is : let them see, that " the grace of God,
which brings salvation to you, teaches you to deny
ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live righteously,
and soberly, and godly, in this present world." You
will forgive me, if I feel a more than ordinary anxiety
about you. On you the honour of God and his
Gospel pre-eminently depends : and I am earnestly
desirous that you should " walk worthy of your
high calling ; yea, and worthy of the Lord himself
also, unto all pleasing." I would that there should
not be a duty either to God or man in which you
should be found remiss. Whatever your situation
2068. J THE TRUE USE OF THE LAW. 139
particularly requires, that should be an object of
your most diligent attention ; that, if a comparison be
instituted between you and those who make no pro
fession of religion, you may at least be found to stand
on equality with the best amongst them ; and be able
to say, " Are they Hebrews ? so am I. Are they
Israelites? so am I. Are they exemplary in the
whole of their deportment? so am I." It must never
be forgotten, that the duties of the second table are
as necessary to be observed as those of the first :
and if there be one amongst you who would set the
two at variance, I must declare my testimony against
him, as greatly dishonouring the Gospel of Christ.
But of the great mass of religious characters amongst
you, " I am persuaded better things, though I thus
speak." Go on then, I entreat you, and abound
more and more in every thing that is excellent and
praiseworthy : and, in reference to every duty that
is required of you, let it be seen that you are
" under the law to Christ." This is expected at
your hands, and may well be expected : for if you
are remiss in these things, who will be attentive to
them ? Remember, it is " by well-doing that you are
to put to silence the ignorance of foolish men :" and
never forget, that there is no other way of proving
yourselves Christ's disciples indeed, but by doing
his will, and keeping his Commandments s.'n
s John xiv. 15. 1 Cor. vii. 19. 1 John ii. 3, 4.
1 The reader, after reading these on THE LAW, is recommended to
read those on THE GOSPEL, on 1 Tim. i. 11.
MMLXVIII.
THE TRUE USE OF THE LAW.
Gal. iii. 21 — £6. Is the law then against the promises of God?
God forbid : for if there had been a law given which could
have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the
laiv. But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that
the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them
that believe. But before faith came, we ivere kept under the
HO GALATIANS, ILL 21—26. [2068.
law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be
revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring
us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But,
after that faith is come, ive are no longer under a school
master. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ
Jesus.
THE true nature and intent of the moral law is
by no means generally understood : and, if the
question put by the Apostle into the mouth of an
objector, "Wherefore then serveth the law?" were
addressed to the great mass even of considerate
Christians,, very few among them would know what
answer to return to it. Hence it is that such oppo
sition is everywhere made to the free offers of the
Gospel. We have continually the very same contest
to maintain against the generality of Christians, as
the Apostle had against the Jews. The Apostle
preached, that the Messiah, the Seed in whom all
the nations of the earth were to be blessed, was
come : and that all were now to be justified by faith
in him, precisely as Abraham had been two thousand
years before. The Jews maintained, that this could
not be the true way of salvation ; for that God had
given a law to Moses ; and that law was of perpetual
obligation ; and, if we were now to be justified by
faith alone, the law would be made void, and had
in reality been given to no purpose. To this the
Apostle answers, that the law, which was given to
the Jews alone, could not invalidate the promise
which had many ages before been given to Abraham
and all his believing seed, whether among the cir
cumcised Jews, or the uncircumcised Gentiles ; and
that there was no such opposition between the two
as the Jews imagined ; the law being in fact designed
to introduce the Gospel with more effect, and to
endear it to all, when it should come to be more
fully revealed. This was the state of the question
between the Apostle and his opponents ; to whom
a complete answer is given in the words before us.
The question simply was, ' Is there any real oppo
sition between the law as given to Moses, and the
2068.1 THE TRUE USE OF THE LAW. 141
promises as given to Abraham?5 No; says the
Apostle : there is a subserviency of the one to the
other ; and both the one and the other proclaim to
us, in fact, the same salvation — salvation by faith in
the Lord Jesus Christ, and by faith alone.
To make this clear to the comprehension of all, I
will distinctly mark what he says respecting,
I. The use of the law —
The law, when originally given to Adam in Para
dise, "was ordained to lifea," and would, if perfectly
fulfilled by him, have given him a title to eternal
life : but, having been once broken, it is no longer
capable of giving a title to life, and is only " a minis
tration of condemnation and deathV Had it been
possible to have given a law which should have ren
dered the salvation of fallen man consistent with the
Divine attributes, God would never have given his
only-begotten Son to take our nature and die for us :
the publication of a new law would have been so
obvious and so easy, that he would undoubtedly have
preferred thatc. But no such law could be given : for,
if it required the same as the original law did, namely
perfect and perpetual obedience, it was impossible
that that should ever be rendered to it by fallen
mand : and, if it required less, it would dispense with
obligations, which of necessity exist between the
creature and the Creator, and would, in fact, give
a license to sin : which it is impossible for a holy
God to do. The law then, as given to Moses, was
not intended for any such purpose as this : it was
intended,
1. To prepare men for the Gospel—
[The Gospel is a revelation of mercy through the incar
nation and sufferings of the Son of God : and that mercy
is freely offered to all who will believe in Christ. Previously
to the coming of Christ, this mystery was but very imperfectly
understood: but the law as published on Mount Sinai was
well calculated to prepare the minds of men for the fuller
a Rom. vii. 10. »> 2 Cor. iii. 7, 9.
c ver. 21. d Rom. viii. 3.
112 GALATIANS, III. 21—26. [2068.
manifestation of it. For it made known to men the true extent
of their duty : it shewed that we were bound to love God with
all our heart, and all our mind, and all our soul, and all our
strength : and to love our neighbour in all respects as our
selves. Nothing less than this was to be paid by us from the
earliest moment of our existence to our latest breath. Re
vealing this, it further shewed to men the inconceivable depth
of their guilt. By this standard are we to be tried every
moment : yet in no one moment of our lives have we acted up
to it, either towards God or man. On the contrary, we have
been at an infinite distance from it, having been altogether
engrossed by self, and caring nothing either for God or man,
any farther than the interests of self might be promoted by
them. Thus, not to speak of any particular actions, the whole
state and habit of our minds, every day, every hour, every
moment, has been as contrary to the law as darkness to light,
and hell to heaven. Hence the law proceeds still further
to shew men their infinite desert of wrath and condemnation.
For every single deviation from this perfect standard, the
wrath of God is denounced against us ; agreeably to that
sentence of the law, " Cursed is every one that continueth not
in all things that are written in the book of the law to do
them." Consider then our duty as ramified in all its extent,
and in one single day our sins against it are more numerous
than the stars of heaven, or the sands upon the sea-shore ;
and of course, a proportionable weight of wrath and condemna
tion is entailed upon us.
Such is the light which the law reflects on our state before
God : and does it not endear to us the offer of a free and full
salvation? Doubtless it does: and for this end it was given,
that we might the more thankfully accept the promises made
to us in Christ Jesus our Lord.]
2. To shut men up to the Gospel—
[Men naturally go to the law, having no idea of obtaining
salvation in any other way than by obedience to its commands.
Hence the sinner, when once awakened to a concern about
his soul, and sensible that he has not obeyed the law in its
full extent, hopes to make a composition, as it were, and to
be accepted on paying a part for the whole. But the law
thunders in his ears, ' Thou must obey me in all things.' He
then hopes, that the law will accept his repentance for past
transgressions, and sincere obedience for the time to come.
But the law replies, ' I know nothing of repentance, or of sin
cere obedience : thou must pay me my full demands, and
" continue obedient in all things" from first to last: I have
stated the extent of your duty ; and I have said, " Do this,
and thou shalt live." These are the only terms on which I
2068. J THE TRUE USE OF THE LAW. 143
can offer thee any thing : if thou canst not bring perfect obe
dience with thee, it is in vain to come to me : thou must seek
a remedy elsewhere : for I can afford thee none.' Thus the
law, being inflexible in its demands, and inexorable in its
denunciations, compels the sinner to look out for some other
way of escape from the wrath to come, and " shuts him up" to
that which is revealed in the Gospel : it declares to him, that,
as long as he continues to found his hopes on the law, he is,
and must be, under its curse : and, just as at the first promul
gation of the law, the people, trembling with apprehensions of
immediate death, entreated that God would give them a me
diator, through whom they might venture to approach him ; so
now the terrors of Mount Sinai constrain men to look for
mercy solely through the mediation and intercession of the
Lord Jesus6. In this view " the law was to be a schoolmaster
to us, to bring us to Christ :" it was by instruction to inform
us, arid by discipline to constrain us ; that so the promises
made to us in the Gospel might become available for their
destined end.]
The law thus viewed, opens to us in all its
grandeur,,
II. The benefit of the Gospel—
fe Before faith came," and whilst the way of sal
vation through a crucified Redeemer was but darkly
and partially disclosed, the law kept men in a state of
bondage, like prisoners shut up, and looking forward
to a future deliverance : but, " when faith did come,"
and the Gospel was fully revealed, then it appeared
what unspeakable meicy God had kept in store for
the sinners of mankind : for by the Gospel,
1. We are liberated from the law—
[The very instant we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ,
and lay hold on the covenant of grace, we cease to be any
longer under the covenant of works. The law, as a covenant,
has no longer any power either to command, or to condemn :
it is abrogated with respect to us ; yea, it is dead : and has
no more power over us, or connexion with us, than a man
who is dead has with the widow whom he has left behind
him. This is not only affirmed by the Apostle, but is illus
trated also by this very image. " If," says he, " her husband is
dead, the woman is loosed from the law of her husband : so
we are become dead to the law and the law is become dead
e Deut. v. 23 — 28.
144 GALATIANS, III. 21—56. [2068.
to us, by the body of Christ ; yea, we are delivered from the
law, that being dead wherein we were heldf." And this effect
is produced by the law itself; as he also tells us in the chapter
preceding our text : " I through the law am dead to the law,
that I might live unto Godg :" that is, the law so utterly con
demns me, that I can have no hope from it whatever, and am
forced, whether I will or not, to renounce all dependence
upon it, and to live no longer as one who hopes to earn life
for himself, but as one who seeks only to honour and glorify
his Redeemer. Hear the account which St. Paul gives of this
matter in another epistle. Speaking to those who had believed
in Christ, he says, " Ye are not come unto the Mount that
might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness,
and darkness, and tempest, and the sound of the trumpet, and
the voice of words ; which voice they that heard, entreated that
the word should not be spoken to them any more : but ye are
come unto Mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God,
the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of
angels, and to the general assembly and Church of the first
born, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of
all, and to the spirits of the just made perfect, and to Jesus the
mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling,
which speaketh better things than the blood of AbelV In a
word, the moment we believe in Christ, " we are no longer
under a schoolmaster," or, as it is elsewhere said, " we are no
longer under the law, but under grace1."]
2. We are brought into possession of all spiritual
and eternal blessings—
[" We are justified by faith k ;" we are " justified freely
from all things, from which we could not be justified by the
law of Moses1:" Our " sins, whatever they may have been,
are put as far from us as the east is from the west"1:" " nor
shall they ever more be remembered against us11," Nor is this
all : we are brought into the very family of God, and " made
the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus0." Nor are we
children only, but children of full age, who are " no longer
under tutors and governors," but already admitted to the most
intimate communion with our God, and enjoying, as far as in
this world we can enjoy, the inheritance prepared for usp.
And here we cannot but call your attention in a more
especial manner to the means by which all these blessings are
secured. It is again and again said, that they become ours
f Rom. vii. 1—6. s Gal. ii. 19. h Heb. xii. 18—24.
1 Rom. vi. 14. k ver. 24. l Acts xiii. 39.
m Ps. ciii. 12. n Heb. viii. 12. and x. 17.
0 ver. 26. P Gal. iv. 1—7.
2068.] THE TRUE USE OF THE LAW. 145
" by faith in Christ Jesus." There is no other way : it is
simply and solely by faith : there is no mixture of works :
works, so far from augmenting our title to these things, or
contributing to the acquisition of them, will, if wrought for this
end, cut us off from all hope of ever coming to the possession
of them. So inconsistent with each other are the covenants
of grace and of works, that the smallest portion of works
utterly excludes grace q; and the slightest imaginable depend
ence on them invalidates all that Christ has done and suffered
for us. The instant we blend any thing with faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ, we make ''the promise of no effect," and " Christ,"
with respect to us, " has died in vain1"."]
And now, in conclusion, let us INQUIRE,
1. Whence is it that there is so much occasion to
insist on these truths ?
[Is it that there is any difficulty in them ? No ; in all
personal matters we find it easy enough to distinguish between
a gift and a debt. We are at no loss to make this distinction,
if a man, who has never done one thing for us in all his life,
claim a reward at our hands. It is to little purpose that he
compliments us with an appeal to our generosity : the single
circumstance of his founding his hope, though in a small
degree, on services which he professes to have rendered us,
especially if, instead of having done us any service, he has
all his days been adverse to our will and hostile to our inte
rests, is quite sufficient to cut him off from all hope of receiving
the benefits he expects. And much more may this be the
case when a sinner presumes to prefer a claim of merit before
his God. For what is this but the most abominable pride ?
Take an illustration, which will serve to place the matter in
its true point of view. A prince offers pardon to his rebel
lious subjects, provided they will sue for it through the
mediation of his son, to whom he has committed the whole
government of his kingdom. Some apply in the appointed
way, and are pardoned : but others say, * We will not accept
of pardon on the terms he offers it : if the king will levy a fine
upon us, we will pay it ; or, if he will appoint us a service, be
it never so difficult, we will perform it : but to stoop to the
method which he has prescribed, namely, that of asking pardon
through the mediation of his son, is a humiliation to which
we will not submit.' Who does not see, that pride is the
principle by which these persons are actuated; and that, if
they perish as rebels, it is altogether through their own fault?
Know then, that it is pride, and pride alone, that keeps any
<i Rom. xi. (i. r Gal. ii. 21. and v. 2 — 4.
VOL. XVII. L
146 GALATIANS, III. 21— 26. [2068.
from seeing the excellency of the Gospel salvation. It is
pride that makes any so averse to be saved entirely by faith
without the works of the law : and, till the proud hearts of
men be humbled, the Gospel will always be to them a
stumbling-block, and rock of offence. But be it known to
you, that, how desirous soever you may be " to establish a
righteousness of your own," you can never do it, but " must
submit to the righteousness of God8."]
2. Why are we so earnest in enforcing them ?
[If the present life only were concerned, we might be
content to let you go on your own way. But on your accept
ance or rejection of the Gospel salvation depends your happi
ness both in this world and the world to come. This accounts
for St. Paul insisting so much on this doctrine in his Epistles
to the Romans and the Galatians ; and for his declaring so
repeatedly, that, if they did any work whatever with a view to
recommend them to Christ for justification, " Christ himself
should profit them nothing." See what he says on this subject
respecting his Jewish brethren. He tells us, " that the
Gentiles, who had not followed after righteousness, had
attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of
faith : but that Israel, who had followed after the law of
righteousness, had not attained to the law of righteousness.
"Wherefore ? (says he :) Because they sought it not by faith,
but, as it were, by the works of the law : for they stumbled
at that stumbling-stone*." So it will be with all who will not
submit to the righteousness of faith. If they would " believe
in the Lord Jesus Christ, they should never be ashamed :"
but if, through an ignorant zeal for the law, they will not
embrace the Lord Jesus Christ as their only hope, they must
inevitably and eternally perish. This is the reason that, in
going through this epistle, we bring the matter before you in
such various points of view, and with such an earnest desire
to fasten a conviction of it on your minds : and we entreat all
to bear in remembrance the importance of the subject, and
not to give sleep to their eyes or slumber to their eye-lids,
till they have embraced the Lord Jesus Christ with their
whole hearts, and made him " all their salvation and all their
desire."]
3. Are the promises any more against the law,
than the law is against the promises?
[The law, as has been shewn you, is subservient to the
promises, and was given on purpose to make us more earnest
in apprehending them, and more simple in relying on them.
s Rom. x. 3. * Rom. ix. 30 — 32.
2069.1 BENEFITS AND OBLIGATIONS OF BAPTISM. 147
So the promises in return secure obedience to the law; as
St. Paul has said, " Do we then make void the law through
faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the lawu." To this
truth the whole Scriptures bear witness. " The grace of God
which brings salvation, teaches us obedience x;" and the faith
that apprehends that salvation, secures it ; for it " works by
love," and "purifies the heart," and "overcomes the world."
The state into which we are brought by the promises, pre
cludes a possibility of our living in any wilful siny: it would
be contrary to the very idea of our being servants of Christ,
to render service to that which he so abhors. A spiritual
man cannot endure the thought of so grievous an inconsis
tency2. On the contrary, the promises afford him encourage
ment to aspire after universal holiness, because, whilst they
set him free from all slavish fears, they assure him of a
constant supply of grace and strength proportioned to his
necessities3. Hence, apprehending and living upon the pro
mises, he will " cleanse himself from all filthiness of the flesh
and spirit, and perfect holiness in the fear of GodV Let
this then appear in all our lives : so shall it be seen beyond all
contradiction, that, though we build not on our works, we
diligently perform them ; and that the doctrine we profess is
in truth " a doctrine according to godliness."]
u Rom. iii. 31. x Tit. ii. 11, 12. y Rom. vi. 1—7.
2 Rom. vi. 15, 16. a 2 Cor. xii. 9. b 2 Cor. vii. 1.
MMLXIX.
BENEFITS AND OBLIGATIONS OF BAPTISM.
Gal, iii. 27 — 29. As many of you as have been baptized into
Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek,
there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female:
for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's,
then are ye Abrahams seed, and heirs according to the
promise.
TO enter fully into these words, the whole scope
of the Apostle's argument should be duly considered.
He has been insisting upon justification by faith alone,
without the deeds of the law. This, to a Jew, was
a most unpalatable doctrine, because it set aside the
observance of all those ceremonies which had been
ordained of God under the Mosaic dispensation.
Hence many, after they had embraced the faith of
L 2
148 GALATIANS, III. M—29. [2069.
Christ, were still zealous for the law ; and desirous
of blending the law with the Gospel, as a joint-ground
of their hope before God. Persons of this stamp
had come among the Galatian converts, and had
perverted the minds of many. Hence the Apostle,
in this Epistle to the Galatians, expostulates with
those who had been drawn aside, as having acted
a most foolish and unreasonable part. " O foolish
Galatians ! who hath bewitched you, that you should
not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ
hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?"
He then proceeds to reason with them : ' Have you
not had amongst yourselves an evident proof and
demonstration that the Gospel which I preached to
you is true ? The Holy Spirit set his seal to the
truth of it, by his miraculous operations : but did
he ever, in one instance, so confirm the doctrines
opposed to ita ? Besides, with my doctrine agree
the declarations of God himself; who says, that as
Abraham was justified by faith, so by the same faith
the whole heathen world shall be justified b. But
to the law no power of justifying is ever ascribed.
That can do nothing but condemn : and it is only by
pleading what Christ has done and suffered to deliver
us from its curse, that any one of us can ever escape
its curse, and obtain the blessings which are accorded
to us by the Abrahamic covenant0.'
To make this matter clear, he illustrates it by a
well-known fact. ' If,' says he, ' a covenant be made
between men, it cannot be disannulled, except by the
consent of both the parties that are interested in it.
But Abraham, and all his believing seed throughout the
whole world and to the very end of time, were inter
ested in the covenant made with Abraham ; whereas,
in the covenant made four hundred and thirty years
afterwards on Mount Sinai, none but Abraham's
natural descendants, and a very small portion even
of them, were interested: and therefore this latter
covenant can never supersede the former, or in any
vcr. r>— 9. c ver. 10—14.
2069.] BENEFITS AND OBLIGATIONS OF BAPTISM. 149
degree change its gracious provisions'1. In truth,
the Mosaic covenant, so far from superseding that
which had been made with Abraham, was intended
rather to be subservient to it, and as a schoolmaster,
to educate persons for it, and to bring them to a
participation of its blessings6. Consequently Christ,
with whom, as well as with Abraham, the covenant
of grace was madef, having now come, and fulfilled
in our behalf all that was required by that covenant,
we, of whatever nation we be, have nothing to do but
to believe in him ; and then all the blessings of the
covenant will become ours. Being united to him by
faith, we shall be regarded as one with him ; and be
made partakers of all the benefits which he, as our
Great Surety, has purchased for usg.
This is, in few words, the general scope of the
Apostle's argument in the chapter before us. But,
for the more particular elucidation of the words of
my text, I will shew,
I. What, in the judgment of charity, we possess, the
very instant that we profess ourselves to be
Christ's-
The covenant of grace made with Abraham and
his seed is that under which we live : and we are
admitted to a participation of its blessings now by
baptism, as, previously to the coming of Christ, men
were by circumcision. To be " baptized into Christ,"
is to be baptized In the name of Christ ; and by bap
tism, to be initiated into his religion. As the Jews
were " baptized unto Moses" by passing through the
sea and being sprinkled with its spray, and so be
came his disciples ; so do we, by descending into the
water in baptism, or by being sprinkled with it in
the name of Christ, become the followers of Christ h.
Now, respecting persons baptized into the religion of
Christ1, the Apostle says, " They have put on Christ."
(i ver. 15 — 18. e ver. 19 — 94.
f ver. 16. « ver. 25 — 29.
h 1 Cor. x. 2. See the Greek, which is precisely the same as in
my text, and determines, with exactness, the meaning of my text.
1 Compare Matt, xxviii. 19. and Mark xvi. la, 16.
150 GALATIANS, III. 27—29. [2069.
And what are we to understand by this ? I conceive
it refers, not to any change of garments which was
made by persons at their baptism ; for we hear of no
such custom in the apostolic age : but it refers to the
change of garments which was made by Aaron, and
all succeeding priests, at the time of their consecra
tion to the priesthood. The persons consecrated to
the priesthood were first washed with water, and then
had the coat, and the robe, and the ephod, and the
breast-plate, put upon them ; and were girded with
the curious girdle of the ephod ; and the mitre, with
the holy crown upon it, was put upon their head.
" Thus were the priests of old consecrated unto
Godk :" and thus are we, in our baptism, made " a
holy priesthood" to the Lord1. But, though this
gives us a general idea of what is meant by putting
on Christ, it falls very far short of the full import of
the expression, as used in my text. In another place,
the expression is used to signify the putting on the
moral character of Christ™ : but here it signifies the
putting on of his complete and entire character ; so
that God may view us altogether as in him, clothed
with his righteousness from head to foot, and trans
formed into his image in righteousness and true
holiness".
Now, this the Apostle represents as taking place
at our baptism. And, not content with so repre
senting it in some cases, or in many, or in most, or
generally in all, he speaks as if this change were
absolutely universal, without any exception : " As
many of yon as have been baptized into Christ, have
put on Christ." Here is, if I may so express myself,
a distributive individuality ; by means of which he
comprehends every baptized person separately, and
without any exception. Yet, in this very epistle, he
speaks of some of whom " he stood in doubt0." How,
then, are we to understand this ? The Apostle here
spoke according to the judgment of charity ; even as
k Exod. xxix. 4—9. J 1 Pet. ii. 9. Rev. i. 6.
m Rom. xiii. 14. » Eph. iv. 23, 24.
0 Gal. iv. 20.
2069.] BENEFITS AND OBLIGATIONS OF BAPTISM. 151
he does in many other places, where he addresses
whole collective bodies, and Churches, as " saints, and
faithful in the LordV And I cannot but think, that
in this passage we have a complete justification of
the language used by our reformers in the baptismal
service. After having baptized any child, we are
there taught to return thanks to God in these words :
" We yield thee hearty thanks, most merciful Father,
that it hath pleased thee to regenerate this infant
with thy Holy Spirit, to receive him for thine own
child by adoption, and to incorporate him into thy
holy Church." Now this strikes many as too strong;
and they scarcely know how to utter it before God.
I grant it is strong : but is it stronger than the Apo
stle's language in my text ? No, not in the least :
and if it be said that the prayer in our Liturgy refers
to each individual separately ; I answer, so does the
Apostle's language also : for it is equivalent to say
ing to every individual of the Christian Church,
' Have you been baptized ? then you hare put on
Christ : for as many as have had the sacrament of
baptism administered to them, have been made par
takers of this benefit.'
But, strong as this language is, the Apostle is not
content : for he goes on to say, that, in the attain
ment of these exalted privileges, there is no distinction
of persons whatsoever ; none arising from nation, or
rank, or sex ; as there was, to a great degree, under
the legal dispensation: " There is neither Jew nor
Greek," says he ; " there is neither bond nor free ;
there is neither male nor female : but ye are all one
in Christ Jesus :" so that, inasmuch as all, without
exception, are baptized into one body in Christ ; all,
without exception, enjoy the benefits conferred by
that ordinance.
Let me not, however, be mistaken. I do not mean
to say that the Apostle's words are to be taken
strictly in this unlimited extent : but I mean to
say, that he spoke thus, according to the judgment of
i> Col. i. '2.
152 GALAT1ANS, III. 27—29. [2069.
charity, respecting those who had been consecrated to
God in baptism ; and that our reformers studiously
followed the Apostle, both in his spirit and language :
and that, if we do not complain of the Apostle, or
refuse to read his words, neither ought we to complain
of our reformers, or refuse to use their words ; when
their only fault has been, if fault it may be called, in
adhering so closely to the example and the language
of an inspired Apostle.
I make not these observations wantonly, to pro
voke controversy ; but in a spirit of love? with a view
to satisfy the minds of any, if such there be amongst
us, who have been stumbled in any respect at the
expressions referred to in our baptismal service.
And I shall think my pains well bestowed, if I may
produce in any scrupulous mind the peaceful con
viction which the foregoing thoughts have imparted
to my own bosomq.
If it be thought that the foregoing observations are
liable to abuse, they will be found effectually guarded
by the Apostle himself, who proceeds to shew,
II. What in reality we possess, when once we become
really Christ's—
" If we be Christ's, then are we Abraham's seed,
and heirs according to the promise." Now, let us,
for a moment, return to the Apostle's argument.
He shews, that Christ being the Seed to whom the
promises in the Abrahamic covenant were made, all
who are in Christ must, of necessity, inherit those
promises : and that, as Abraham partook of those
promises simply by faith, whilst yet he was in an
uncircumcised state, so all his believing posterity
also are entitled to a participation of them simply by
faith, without any legal observance whatsoever.
i In this passage, precisely as we in our Baptismal Service, the
Apostle uses distributive individuality. [If a person wish to prose
cute this subject further, he may compare the first answer in our
Catechism with Rom. ix. 4 ; where the Apostle's language is the evi
dent ground- work of that which our Reformers have used.]
2069.] BENEFITS AND OBLIGATIONS OF BAPTISM. 153
Now, by believing in Christ, we become perfectly
one with Christ—
[This is affirmed in my text : " We are all one in Christ
Jesus." It is also frequently declared in other places. I will
specify one, where the union which is formed with Christ in
baptism is represented as equivalent to that which subsists
between the head and members of the same body ; so that the
persons baptized are actually called by his very name, as being
altogether identified with him : " As the body is one, and hath
many members ; and all the members of that body, being
many, are one body; so also is CHRIST ;" that is, so also is the
Church of Christ. " For by one Spirit are we all baptized
into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be
bond or free" " We are indeed many members, yet are
we but one bodyr." Thus it appears, that, inasmuch as we
become one with Christ by faith in him, we become in and
with him the seed of Abraham, and heirs of all the promises
that were made to him.]
And being united unto Christ by faith, we need
nothing to be superadded to us by the works of the
law—
[The natural descendants of Abraham, as such, have no
title to these benefits : for " all are not Israel who are of
Israel ; neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are
they all children ;" for it was said to him, " In Isaac shall thy
seed be called : that is, they which are the children of the flesh
are not the children of God : but the children of the promise
are counted for the seed8." Now, by union with Christ we
become the children of promise, and consequently heirs of all
that God has promised. But how is this union effected? It
is effected simply by faith. No work of the law can contri
bute to it. Even if we were of Abraham's natural posterity,
it would avail us nothing : nor, if we were to keep the whole
law, would it avail us any thing. We must believe in Christ,
and by faith be made one with him ; and then the benefits are
ours : nor shall all the powers of darkness prevail to rob us of
them. Only let these two things be remembered, and our
whole argument will be clear. First, no want of external
privileges can deprive us of these benefits; and next, no
observances whatever can augment our title to them, if only
we believe in Christ : for " if we be Christ's, then are we
Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."]
Now let me ADDRESS myself,
1. To those who are Christ's mprofession only —
r 1 Cor. xii. 12, 13. s Rom. ix. 0—8.
154 GALATIANS, III. 27—29. [2069.
[You perceive, that, as " baptized into Christ," you pro
fess to have " put on Christ." Now, then, permit me to ask,
have you ever felt your need of Christ ? Have you ever been
conscious of the nakedness of your soul by reason of sin ; and
of the utter insufficiency of the fig-leaves of your own right
eousness to cover your nakedness ; and of the indispensable
necessity of your being clothed in Christ's righteousness, in
order to your acceptance before God? Have you, under a
deep sense of your need of his righteousness, gone to him, and
apprehended him, and put him on by faith ? and does all your
hope of happiness in the eternal world arise from this thought,
that God views you, not as you are in yourselves, but as you
are in Christ, clothed from head to foot with his unspotted
robe, and therefore standing without spot or blemish in the
sight of the heart-searching God? Let but conscience return
a candid answer to these inquiries, and you will have a perfect
insight into your real state before God. You will then see,
that, though baptized into Christ, you have never really
availed yourselves of your privilege to " put him on." You
are in the state of a widow, who, though entitled to a certain
portion of the estate of her deceased husband, neglects to take
out administration according to law : she cannot turn any part
of the estate to her own account ; and must perish with hunger,
even as if she had no title whatever to the estate, if she
continue to neglect the appointed means of coming to the
possession of it. And so must you perish under the guilt of
all your sins, if you neglect to put on Christ by faith, and to
cover yourselves with the robe of his unspotted righteousness.
You may be as observant of the law as ever Paul was in his
unconverted state : but yet will you perish for ever, as he also
would have done, if you apply not to Christ, that you may
" be found in him, not having your own righteousness, but the
righteousness which is of God by faith in him." As for your
baptism, it will avail you nothing without this : for he is not
a Jew who is one outwardly ; neither is that circumcision
which is outward in the flesh : but he is a Jew who is one
inwardly ; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit,
and not in the letter ; whose praise is not of men, but of
GodV On the other hand, let me say, that if only you will
believe in Christ, though you were the most ignorant of
Gentiles or the most abandoned of sinners, you should be
accepted in him, and be made partakers of all his blessings,
both of grace and glory.]
2. To those who are Christ's in reality and truth—
[I trust there are many such among you. And what
shall I say to you? what but this? Survey the covenant
< Rom. ii. 28, 29.
2070.] THE INCARNATION OF CHRIST. 155
which was made with Abraham, and all the promises con
tained in it; and say, * All these are mine.' Survey all that
Abraham ever possessed, or possesses at this moment at the
right hand of God ; and then say, ' As Abraham's seed, and
Abraham's heir, I am entitled to all of this.' Go further still,
and survey all that Christ himself ever enjoyed, or at this
moment enjoys, as the promised Seed of Abraham, and the
great Heir of all ; and then say, * All this also, so far as I am
capable of enjoying it, is mine : God is my God, even as he
is Christ's"; and Christ's throne is my throne: Christ's king
dom is my kingdom; Christ's glory, my glory; for " the glory
which God has given him, he has given me x." '
What then shall I do, to shew my sense of the benefits
conferred upon me? This will I do, to the utmost of my
power: I will "put on Christ:" I will put him on daily; so
that God shall never see me but as I am in him, covered with
the robe of his righteousness : nor shall my fellow-creatures
ever see me but as possessing " the very mind which was in
Christy." I will " put on the Lord Jesus Christ," even as a
man puts on his garments2; so that all who see me shall say
that I resemble him. I will, God helping me, be " a living
epistle of Christ, that shall be known and read of all mena;"
so that all may know how he walked when on earth, and how
he wills that we should walkb.
This, my beloved brethren, is the true way to prove your
selves Christ's believing people ; and this will bring down to
you a heaven upon earth.]
11 Gen. xvii. 7. with John xx. 17.
x Rev. iii. 21. John xvii. 22. y Phil. ii. 5.
z This is the precise import of Rom. xiii. 14. and refers to the
moral image of Christ.
* 2 Cor. ii. 2, 3. b i J0hn ii. 6.
MMLXX.
THE TIME AND MANNER OF CHRIST'S INCARNATION.
Gal. iv. 4, 5. When the fulness of the time was come, God sent
forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to
redeem them that mere under the law, that ive might receive
the adoption of sons.
THE advantages which we as Christians enjoy
above the Jews are exceeding great. The Jewish
Church was like an heir to a large estate during the
156 GALATIANS, IV. 4, 5. [2070.
years of his minority : he has indeed bright prospects
before him ; but at present he receives no more than
what his guardians judge necessary for his use, and
suited to his condition. " He, in fact, differs nothing
from a servant, though he be lord of all :" for he is
altogether " under the controul of tutors and gover
nors, till the time appointed by his father," whose
possessions he is to inherit. We, on the contrary,
are like the same person when arrived at full age,
having perfect liberty from servile restraints, and
entering into the complete enjoyment of the inherit
ance, to wrhich by our Father's will we are entitled.
In this view St. Paul himself has illustrated the
subject in the chapter before us. Having in the
preceding verses described the state of the Jewish
Church, he declares, in the words of our text, the
superior privileges which, through the incarnation of
the Son of God, we enjoy.
To bring the whole subject under your considera
tion, it will be proper to notice the time, the manner,
and the end of our Saviour's incarnation.
I. The time —
It may seem strange that, when God had promised
to send his Son into the world, he should delay the
execution of that promise four thousand years. But
it does not become us to sit in judgment upon God's
proceedings ; it is sufficient for us to know that he
cannot err. But, in relation to the point before us,
we may observe, that the time when our Lord came
into the world, was,
1. The time fixed in the Divine counsels —
[When the promise of a Saviour was given to our first
parents, nothing was specified respecting the time. Hence
Eve (as it should seem) imagined that her first-born child
was he: for she named him Cain (which signifies getting);
intimating, that " she had gotten a man from the Lord," or
rather, that she had gotten the man, the Lorda. Nothing
seems to have been declared concerning the time of the Mes
siah's arrival, till it was revealed to Jacob, that " the sceptre
should not depart from Judah, till Shiloh should comeb:" and
a Gen. iii. 1. b Gen. xlix. 10.
2070.] THE INCARNATION OF CHRIST. 157
it is remarkable, that a separate jurisdiction did depart from
all the other tribes several hundred years before Christ's
advent ; but that Judah retained it, in a measure, even during
the captivity in Babylon ; and never completely lost it, till
Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans, and the whole
Jewish polity was dissolved.
After the restoration of the Jews from Babylon, it was re
vealed to the Prophet Haggai, that the Messiah should come
while that temple was standing; and by his presence in it
should add greater glory to it, than the former temple, with
all its magnificence and peculiar appendages, possessed0.
But that which marked the period with most precision, was
the prophecy of Daniel, which declared, that in seventy weeks
(of years), or four hundred and ninety years, from the com
mand given by Artaxerxes to rebuild Jerusalem, the Messiah
should be cut offd. This determined the time with such
accuracy, that the expectation of the Messiah's advent was
very general among the Jews, when our Lord made his
appearance upon earth.
Thus the fulness of the time was come, because it was the
time ordained by God in his eternal counsels, and made known
to the world by his holy prophets.]
2. The fittest time-
[If our Lord had come into the world at an earlier period,
several valuable purposes would either not have been answered,
or not in so eminent a degree. By the delay, there was
abundant proof given, how little could be done by reason, ivith
all its improvements ; or by the law, with all its sanctions ; or
by the most signal judgments and mercies.
Reason had attained its summit. The learning of Greece
and Rome had left nothing to be added for the perfecting of
the human intellect. Yet what did all their boasted philo
sophy effect? Were the habits and dispositions of men
meliorated ? Was the dominion of sin broken, or virtue made
more generally prevalent throughout the world? Read the
account which St. Paul gives of the heathen world ; and
j udge e.
God has been pleased to republish his law, in a way cal
culated to awe his people, and secure their obedience to it.
He had enforced it with the most solemn sanctions ; and had
himself written it on tables of stone, in order that it might
not any more be mutilated and forgotten, as it had been when
left to the uncertainty of oral tradition. And did this succeed?
No. The Jew had nothing to boast of above the Gentiles.
St. Paul draws their character also, and shews that they, with
c Hagg. ii. 7, 9. d Dan. ix. 24, 25. e Rom. i. 22 — 32.
158 GALATTANS, IV. 4, 5. [2070.
all their advantages, were as far from God and righteousness
as the heathen themselves f.
The interposition of the Deity had also been displayed in a
visible series of mercies and judgments, correspondent to the
moral conduct of his people. Not only had thousands and
tens of thousands been struck dead at a time for some great
offence, but even the whole nation were sent into a miserable
captivity for seventy years. On the other hand, their resto
ration from captivity had been so miraculous, as evidently to
bear the stamp of Omnipotence upon it. These things did
lead the Jews to renounce idolatry : but how far they prevailed
to introduce general habits of piety and virtue, may be seen in
the awful unanimity which obtained among them in rejecting
and crucifying the Son of God.
No fitter time therefore could have been chosen for the
sending of this last remedy, than when all other remedies
had been fully tried, and their inefficacy had incontrovertibly
appeared.]
The next thing to be noticed respecting the incar
nation of Christ, is,
II. The manner—
Though Christ was God equal with the Father, yet
in his mediatorial capacity he acted as the Father's
Messenger or Servant. The Father sent his Son,
1. " Made of a woman" —
[This expression would have been superfluous if applied
to any mere man ; but, as applied to the Lord Jesus, it is
peculiarly important. Our adorable Saviour was not born
like other men ; but was formed in the womb of a pure virgin
by the operation of the Holy Ghost : and this was necessary
on many accounts.
If Christ had been born in the ordinary way of generation,
he would have been comprehended in Adam's natural pos
terity, and would therefore have been involved in the same
curse as all others are on account of the first transgression :
for " in Adam all died;" and " through his disobedience many
were made sinners," even all who were represented by him as
their covenant-head. Moreover, he would have been corrupt,
as all others are ; for " who can bring a clean thing out of an
unclean?" But, not deriving his existence from man, he
could not be ranked among the sons of Adam ; and, being
formed by the immediate agency of the Holy Ghost, he was
perfectly immaculate.
f Rom. ii. 17—29.
2070.] THE INCARNATION OF CHRIST. 159
This miraculous mode of conception and birth was farther
necessary, in order to fulfil the prophecies : for in the very first
promise that announced God's gracious intentions to the world,
it was said, that " the Seed of the woman (not of the man, but
of the woman) should bruise the serpent's headg." It had
afterwards been more plainly declared, that " a virgin should
conceive, and bear a Son, whose name should be called
Emmanuel," God with ush.
Hence the expression in the text marks at once, that Christ
was fitted for his mediatorial office ; and that he is the very
person fore-ordained from the foundation of the world to
sustain and execute it.]
2. " Made under the law"—
[Not being represented by Adam, and not inheriting his
defilement, Christ was not under the curse of the law : but,
being born of a Jewish parent, he was under the authority of
the law, as well the ceremonial as the moral. The law was to
him, as it was to Adam in Paradise, a covenant of life and
death. The covenant made with Adam was for himself and
all his natural posterity : that which was made with Christ,
was for himself and all his spiritual seed. Now, Adam, by
violating the covenant, had entailed a curse on all his descen
dants. To remedy this evil, two things were to be done : the
curse due to us was to be endured; and a new claim to
heaven was to be established for us. For these two purposes
Christ was fitted, when he was sent into the world : He was
sent " made of a woman only," that, not being himself ob
noxious to the curse of the law, he might bear the curse for
us ; and that, fulfilling all the demands of the law, he might
" bring in an everlasting righteousness," which should be
imputed to us, and placed to our account1.
If we attend to the various circumstances of his life and
death, we shall find that he actually fulfilled the law in every
particular. He fulfilled the ceremonial law both actively and
passively : actively, by submitting to circumcision, by attending
the stated feasts, and by complying with the Mosaic ritual in
all its parts: he fulfilled it also passively, by accomplishing
every thing which was there prefigured, and by exhibiting in
himself the substance of every thing which the Mosaic ritual
had shadowed forth k. He fulfilled also the moral law, obeying
it in its utmost extent, insomuch that not a spot or blemish
could be found in him. In short, as " it became him to fulfil
all righteousness," so he did fulfil it ; and, being " made under
e Gen. iii. 15. h Isai. vii. 14. Matt. i. 23.
; Dan. ix. 24. Rom. iii. 21, 22. k Col. ii. 17.
160 GALATIANS, IV. 4, 5. [2070.
the law," he resigned not his breath till he could say in refer
ence to all that the law required of him, " It is finished1."]
The incarnation of our blessed Lord remains yet
further to be considered, as it respects,
III. The end-
We may say in general terms that he was sent,
1. To redeem us from guilt and misery—
[The Jews alone were under the ceremonial law, and
therefore they alone can be said to have been delivered from
the yoke which that law imposed upon them. But the whole
human race are under the moral law : they are under it as a
covenant, which, having been once violated, denounces only
its curses against them, without affording them the smallest
hope of mercy m. Now the Lord Jesus Christ came to redeem
us from the law ; and to establish a new covenant for us, by
embracing which we are released from the covenant of works,
and brought into a perfectly new state. This new covenant
offers us life upon totally different terms from those which
were proposed under the old covenant : the old covenant said,
" Do this and thou shalt live :" the new covenant says, " Be
lieve on the Lord Jesus Christ, arid thou shalt be saved"."
The very instant we lay hold on the new covenant, the old
covenant is cancelled with respect to us : It cannot condemn
us, because its penalties have been inflicted on our Surety :
It cannot command us, because we are not under its juris
diction. As a rule of duty, it retains its authority ; but, as a
covenant, it is altogether abrogated and annulled0. Thus
through the incarnation and death of Christ we are redeemed
from the condemnation we have merited by our past transgres
sion of the law, and from all obligation to stand or fall by the
terms which that law prescribes.]
2. To exalt us to happiness and glory—
[Our blessed Lord had yet higher ends in view when he
became incarnate. He came to restore us to all the blessed
ness from which we had fallen. By creation we were children
of God : but, when sin entered, that relation ceased ; and we
became " children of the devil." This being our state, Christ
came, that through him we might again return to the family of
God. Though we are by nature strangers and aliens, we may
receive through him the adoption of sons, and be regarded by
God as dear children. We are expressly assured that this
1 John xix. 30. m Rom. iii. 19. Gal. iii. 10.
» Rom. x. 5 — 9. with Acts xvi.t31. ° Gal. ii. 19. Rom. vii. 1 — 4.
2070. J THE INCARNATION OF CHRIST. 161
privilege is given to all without exception who believe in
Christ P. What is implied in this privilege, the Apostle states
in the two verses following the text. He specifies both the
present and future benefits of this adoption. In this world,
instead of having any occasion to dread the wrath of God, we
may look up with filial confidence to him, " crying, Abba,
Father;" and may expect from him all that care, and love, and
mercy which are suited to the relation of a father. In the
eternal world, we shall be raised to such dignity and glory as
no words can express, no imagination can conceive. " Being
sons, we are heirs, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ :"
and whatever God or Christ possess either of happiness or
glory, shall be possessed by us, according to the degree of our
meetness for it, and the measure of our capacity to enjoy it.
"This honour have all the saints;" and that they might
enjoy it in its fullest extent, was the design of God in sending
his dear Son into the world.]
INFER—
1. The folly of adhering to the law—
[Men, in seeking salvation by the works of the law, have
no idea what folly they are guilty of. What should we think
of a man, who, when offered an estate which had been pur
chased for him at an immense price, should decline accepting
it as a gift, and should prefer the making a stipulation to earn
it, and that too by labours which a thousand men were not
able to perform? Yet that were wisdom when compared
with a rejection of the Gospel, and a seeking of salvation by
the works of the law ; because it is impossible for fallen man
to be saved by the covenant of works : and, if Christ had not
redeemed us from that covenant, we must all have perished
together. Will any of you then be so mad as to adhere to that
covenant, now that God has sent his own Son to redeem you from
it ? You think indeed by this to shew your zeal for good works ;
but it is a zeal which is not according to knowledge ^ ; and a
zeal which will only leave you, as it left the self-righteous
Jews, destitute of any part in the salvation of Christ r." We
would not discourage your zeal for good works : we only wish
to give it a right direction. Obey the law; but obey it with
proper views. Renounce your dependence upon it as a cove
nant of works, and seek salvation by faith in Christ. Then
shall you receive that spirit of adoption, which will make the
service of God to be perfect freedom, and afford you ample
scope for your most active exertions.]
2. The blessedness of receiving the Gospel—
P John i. 12. Q Rom. x. 2, 3. r Rom. ix. 30 — 32.
VOL. XVII. M
162 GALATIANS, IV. f>. [2071.
[What an astonishing transition does that soul expe
rience, which is delivered from the terrors of Mount Sinai,
and brought into " the liberty of the children of God!" From
being harassed with the dread of God's wrath, and impelled by
servile fears to irksome, unsatisfying, ineffectual labours, how
delightful to behold the face of a reconciled God and Father,
to feel a holy boldness and confidence before him, and to anti
cipate the joys of heaven ! This is not a picture which is
drawn by a warm imagination : it is a reality ; it is the expe
rience of thousands ; it is in a greater or less degree known to
all who believe in Christ. Seek then, my brethren^ this hap
piness. You can easily conceive the difference between the
labours of a slave under the lash of the whip, and the services
which an affectionate child renders to an indulgent parent :
you can see that even at present their states are exceeding
different. Such is the difference between those who are under
the law, and those who embrace the Gospel. But what will
be the difference hereafter? " Now, believers are the sons of
God : but it doth not yet appear what they shall be : but we
know that, when they shall see Christ in glory, they shall be
like him, for they shall see him as he iss." Let all of us then
believe in Christ, that " we may see the good of his chosen,
and rejoice in the gladness of his nation, and give thanks with
his inheritance* !"]
s 1 John iii. 2. * Ps, cvi. 5.
MMLXXI.
THE SPIRIT OF ADOPTION.
Gal. iv. 6. Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit
of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
IF we were to judge by the exterior of men's lives,
we should be ready to think that Christianity had
done but little hitherto for the world : for it must be
confessed, that, of those who profess our holy religion,
the greater part differ very little from heathens. But
then it must be recollected, that there is much
wrought by the Gospel, which, though to a certain
degree visible in its effects, is seen clearly only by
God himself. There is in every one, who receives the
Gospel aright, a change, both in his state before God
and in the secret habit of his mind. From an enemy
2071.1 THE SPIRIT OF ADOPTION. 163
to God, he is made a friend and a son ; and from
serving God by constraint, as a slave, he comes to him
with a spirit of adoption, as a beloved child. Now,
the acts of this person may be, in many respects, what
they were before ; so that one who looks only on the
outward appearance, shall see no great difference
between him and others : but God, who has made all
this difference, discerns it ; and appreciates the obe
dience that is paid to him, not according to the mere
act, but according to the motive or principle from
which it flows. Now, taking this view of Christianity,
we must say, that it has been, and yet is, productive
of incalculable good : for still, as well as in the
apostolic age, God begets sons to himself by means
of it ; and " when they are made sons, he pours forth
the Spirit of his Son into their hearts, crying, Abba,
Father."
In illustration of these words, I will shew,
I. The relation which every true Christian bears to
God-
Every Christian, from a rebel and an enemy, be
comes " a son."
In this we have the advantage of those under the
law —
[The Jews, though God's peculiar people, were not his
sons, but his servants : or, if we call them his sons, (for doubt
less he was a Father unto them,) still they were only as " mi
nors, who differed very little from servants." They were
under severe and burthensome restraints : they had but a
small portion of their inheritance in actual enjoyment ; and
they performed their duties altogether in a servile spirit a.
But under the Gospel we are regarded as adult sons, who are
freed from those restraints, and enjoy a spirit of liberty in the
whole of our life and conversation. This is not only affirmed
in our text, but taken, as it were, for granted, and assumed as
the ground of those further blessings which are bestowed
upon us.]
And to this we are introduced by our Lord Jesus
Christ-
;i ver. 1—3.
164 GALATIANS, IV. 6. [2071.
[He has redeemed us from that bondage in which we were
once held. Though, as Gentiles, we have never been bound
by the ceremonial law, we have, of necessity, been subject
to the moral law, which is equally binding on every child
of man : and under that we have been exposed to the most
tremendous curses for our violations of it. But the Lord Jesus
Christ, by his obedience unto death, has both fulfilled its de
mands, and suffered its penalties, for us ; and has thus freed us
from it as a covenant, and has brought us into a better cove
nant, the covenant of grace. Hence it is that we receive a
Spirit of adoption : for, in this better covenant, God grants all
the blessings of salvation to us freely, whether we be Jews or
Gentiles ; and, as soon as ever we believe in Christ, admits us
into his own family, as his beloved children b. Thus are we
brought to God in the relation of sons, and have all the bene
fits of children conferred upon us.]
But that which we are chiefly to notice,, concerning
the Christian,, is,
II. The privileges, which, by virtue of this relation,
he enjoys—
The Spirit of Christ is sent forth into his heart —
[The Holy Spirit is here, as in many other passages of
Scripture, called, " the Spirit of Christ0." Not that we are to
conceive of the Godhead as consisting of persons of unequal
majesty and glory ; for the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, are
in glory equal, and in majesty co-eternal. But each person in
the ever-blessed Trinity sustains a distinct office in the eco
nomy of redemption ; the Father sending the Son to work
redemption for us ; and the Son sending the Holy Spirit to
apply that redemption to us. It is in their official character
alone that this subordination consists ; and, agreeably to this
distinction, we must go to the Father, through the Son, and
by the Spirit; and expect blessings from the Father in the
very channel by which we gain access to himd. Now, if we
go to God in this way, he will send his Holy Spirit into our
hearts as a Spirit of adoption ; giving us thereby,]
1. Liberty of access to him —
[The Jews dared not to draw nigh to God within the
limits that were assigned them, whether on Mount Sinai, or in
the temple. But, at the death of our blessed Lord, the vail of
the temple was rent in twain, to intimate to us, that now there
b This the Apostle carefully marks, by using the Hebrew word for
Father, as well as the Greek ; shewing thereby, that whether we be
Jews or Greeks, we are placed on the same footing by the Gospel.
c Rom. viii. 9. 1 Pet. i. 11. d Eph. ii. 18.
2071.] THE SPIRIT OF ADOPTION. 165
was " opened for us a new and living way into the holiest of
all," even for every child of man6 ; and that the nearer we
came to God's mercy-seat, the more certainly we should find
acceptance with him.]
2. Boldness to spread our wants before him—
[To the Jews there were many things which, however they
might desire them, they dared not ask. Korah and his com
pany were consumed for affecting the priesthood, and presum
ing to offer incense to the Lord. But to our requests no
limit whatever is assigned, provided they be in accordance with
God's will, and have a tendency to advance his glory. With
these obvious and necessary distinctions, we may " ask what
we will, and it shall be done unto us :" however wide we open
our mouths, God will fill them. If we are " straitened at all, it
is in our own bowels :" we are not straitened in God : for he
is both " able and willing to do for us exceeding abundantly
above all that we can either ask or think."]
3. Confidence in his care—
[A servant may hope for kind attentions from his master
in a day of necessity, though still to a very limited extent ;
but a son is assured, that whatever relief his father can afford
him shall be readily bestowed. His necessities may be great,
and his troubles of long continuance ; but he has no fear that
the tender sympathy of his father shall fail. Now this is
what "a Spirit of adoption" gives to every true Christian.
" He knows in whom he has believed ; and that he is both
able and willing to keep that which he has committed to him."
He knows not, indeed, how God shall interpose for him, or
when : but he is persuaded that " God will never leave him
nor forsake him;" but " will make all things work together for
his ultimate good," and " cause his light and momentary
afflictions to work out for him a far more exceeding and
eternal weight of glory." Hence, without doubting of a
happy issue to his afflictions, " he casts his care on God, who
careth for him."]
4. An assured expectation of his inheritance—
[Of this a servant can have no hope. But a son knows
that he has a title to his father's inheritance ; and that his
father has assigned it to him in his will. But stronger far is
the Christian's assurance of his title to heaven, and of his ulti
mate possession of it. God has promised to him, not grace
only, but glory also ; and has begotten him to an inheritance
incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved
e Heb. x. 19—22.
166 GALATIANS, IV. 6. [2071.
in heaven for him, who is also kept by the power of God for it.
And who shall rob him of this inheritance? " Who shall
separate him from his Father's love ?" He can look on the
innumerable hosts of men and devils, and boldly defy them
allf. The Spirit of adoption, which enables him to " cry,
Abba, Father," assures him of the victory, and is to him a
pledge and earnest of his future glory.]
OBSERVE—
1. How little is the true nature of Christianity
understood amongst us !
[Men conceive of Christianity as a system of restraints;
or, at best, as a system of doctrines and duties. But, though
it partakes of all these things, it is in reality a system of pri
vileges : it " takes men from the dunghill, to set them among
princes ;" and " translates them from the kingdom of darkness,
into the kingdom of God's dear Son." Contemplate Chris
tianity in this view; as taking " strangers and foreigners ; and
not only bringing them into the household of God," but
making them " sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty."
Well might St. John express his wonder, saying, " Behold,
what manner of love is this wherewith the Father hath loved
us, that we should be called the sons of God ! " Truly,
this is the light in which we should view the Gospel ; and
this is the end for which we should receive its gracious de
clarations.]
2. What enemies to themselves are the unbelieving
world !
[It is to bring you to this very blessedness that we preach
unto you the Gospel of Christ. For this we set forth all the
wonders of redeeming love. For this we invite you to come
to Christ, and believe in him. It is not to make you melan
choly, as foolish people imagine ; but to make you blessed in
the enjoyment of your God and in the possession of his glory.
Why then will you put these things far from you ? Why will
you pour contempt upon them, as if they did not deserve the
attention of any considerate man ? Be assured, that, in
rejecting the salvation offered you in the Gospel, you are your
own enemies : you rob yourselves of happiness, of which not
all the universe could deprive you ; and plunge yourselves
into misery, which all the universe would be unable to entail
upon you. Tell me, is it so light a matter to be sons of God,
that you will despise it ; and to have a sweet sense of this
sealed by the Holy Spirit upon your soul, that you will
f Rom. viii. 31—39.
2072. J MINISTERS LABOURING IN VAIN. 167
reject it? Ah! who can make you amends for the loss of
these privileges ; or console your minds, when they are
irrecoverably placed beyond your reach ? Be wise, I pray
you ; and seek these blessings, ere they are for ever hid from
your eyes.]
3. How earnestly should we hold fast the blessings
thus accorded to us !
[Great as these blessings were, the Galatian Christians
were soon prevailed on to abandon the possession of them, and
to go back again +o the bondage in which they had formerly
been held. And the same disposition remains in us. We all
have a measure of servility in our minds ; and are ready to
bind on ourselves burthens from which Christ has made us
free. Legal hopes, legal fears, legal endeavours, are quite in
consonance with our depraved hearts. But do not dishonour
our blessed Lord by indulging such propensities as these :
strive rather to get rid of them, and stand fast in the liberty
wherewith Christ has made you free. Then will you find the
service of your God to be perfect freedom ; and the enjoyment
of him, on earth, a foretaste of that complete fruition of him
that awaits you.]
MMLXXII.
MINISTERS LABOURING IN VAIN.
Gal. iv. 11. / am afraid of you, lest I have bestotved upon you
labour in vain.
MINISTERS are, in the Scriptures, compared
to husbandmen. Now, no one can doubt, for a
moment, what the object is of those labours which
the husbandman pursues. Whether he prosecute
the initiatory work of manuring and plowing his
ground, or cast upon it, and harrow in, the seed,
every one knows that he looks to the harvest, as the
compensation of his toil : and so far as the produce
abounds, he considers himself as well repaid ; but so
far as it fails, he regards himself as having laboured
in vain. Thus a faithful minister rests not satisfied
with having discharged his duty : he looks for the
effects of his labours in the conversion of souls to
God, and in the salvation of his fellow-men. If, in
these respects, his ministrations are crowned with suc
cess, " he sees of all his travail, and is satisfied." But
168 GALATIANS, IV. 11. [2072.
if the people to whom he ministers remain in a state
of ignorance, or, whilst they profess to have received
the Gospel, they walk unworthy of it, he feels con
strained to adopt the language of St. Paul, and to say,
" I am afraid of you, that I have bestowed upon you
labour in vain."
Now I propose to shew you,
I. When a minister may be said to have " laboured
amongst his people in vain"-
This complaint he may justly utter,
1. When they cleave to the law, as a ground of their
hopes —
[What is the one great object of ministers, but to bring
men to Christ, that through him they may find reconciliation
with their offended God ? In this view, their ministry is called
" the ministry of reconciliation." But, in order to effect this
great work, they must detach persons altogether from their
dependence on the law. Men, by nature, are born under the
law : and they invariably look to their obedience to the law
as the ground of their hope towards God. But, as it is im
possible for fallen man ever to render to the law that perfect
obedience which it requires, God has given him a Saviour,
through whom he may obtain a perfect righteousness, fully
commensurate with all the demands of law and justice. But,
in order to his obtaining an interest in this, every other ground
of hope must be renounced. He must be saved wholly, either
by works or by grace. The two grounds of hope cannot exist
together. If a man attempt to blend them together, even in
the smallest possible degree, he will fail : the slightest de
pendence on his works will altogether invalidate the work of
Christ, and make void all that he has done for the salvation of
mena. If, therefore, a person still practise any works of the
law, in order to obtain, either in whole or in part, justification
by them, all the labour that has ever been bestowed on him
will be in vain. St. Paul said to the Galatian converts, " Ye
observe days, and months, and times, and years." And on
this he grounded the complaint in our text. The observance
of days was not evil in itself: it was only evil, as arguing an
affiance in the law, and a consequent departure from the faith
of Christ. But this being the proper construction to be put
upon it, he regarded it as a dereliction of the Gospel ; and
therefore expressed his fears, that all the labour he had
bestowed on them had been in vain.]
a Gal. v. 2, 4.
2072.] MINISTERS LABOURING IN VAIN. 169
2. When they depart from the law as the rule of
their life —
[The law, though set aside by the Gospel as a ground of
our hope, remains, in all its pristine force, as a rule of life. It
must be obeyed, and obeyed from the heart too, as much as if
we were to obtain justification by it: nor is there any other
standard by which our lives must be regulated, in order to
please and honour God. The Gospel proposes nothing new
in respect of morals. It adds to our motives for obedience,
and gives us a more complete pattern : but it enjoins nothing
beyond the requirements of the law. The law enjoins us to
love God with all our heart and mind and soul and strength,
arid our neighbour as ourselves : and beyond that we cannot
go. The Gospel informs us, that " God was in Christ recon
ciling the world unto himself;" and, consequently, all the faith
and love which we are taught to exercise towards God, we
exercise towards our adorable Emmanuel ; and all the love
which we manifest to man, we manifest it for Christ's sake, and
in conformity to the pattern which he has set us : but beyond
the demands of the law we cannot go ; nor short of those
demands are we allowed to stop. If, therefore, we see any
one relaxing in his obedience to the law, we declare to him,
that " faith has not in him its perfect work." His heart must
be right with God : he must labour to " walk in all things as
Christ walked :" he must, if not in absolute attainment, yet in
desire and endeavour, be " holy as God himself is holy, and
perfect as his Father which is in heaven is perfect." There
must be no sin, though dear as a right eye or useful as a right
hand, retained : and if we see a man proposing to himself any
lower standard than this, we must, of necessity, " stand in
doubt of him ;" and fear, so far as he is concerned, that we
have bestowed on him labour in vainb.]
Let me, then, point out to you,
II. The awful state of a people that are so circum
stanced —
Truly,
1. Their responsibility is great-
fit is here taken for granted, that the Gospel has been
faithfully preached to them. And I hope this may be said
with respect to you, my brethren. Yes ; you will bear me
witness, that "Jesus Christ has been evidently set forth
crucified among you, even as it were before your eyesc."
Now, our blessed Lord said to his hearers, that " if he had
b Mark ix. -13 — 47. with Jam. ii. .10. c' Gal. iii. 1.
170 GALATIANS, IV. 11. [2072.
not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin ; but
that now they had no cloak for their sind." What, then, must
I say to you ? You well know, that " many prophets and
kings have in vain desired to hear and see the things which
have been made familiar to you ; and that, at this moment,
many would account themselves " blessed," if they could
possess the privileges which you enjoy6 : but you cannot but
know also, that on these grounds a proportionable responsi
bility attaches to you. Yet, is there not reason to fear, that
many of you are still so ignorant both of the Law and of the
Gospel, as not to understand their respective offices, and not
to render to them that peculiar honour which they severally
demand? Is there not reason to apprehend, that many have
never yet come to Christ, as helpless, hopeless sinners ; dis
carding every other ground of hope, and glorying in him as all
their salvation and all their desire ? Yet, if you have never
been brought to this, O ! think how much you have to answer
for ! If the fate of Chorazin and Bethsaida was made worse
than that of Tyre and Sidon, yea, than that of Sodom and
Gomorrah, by their abuse of the Gospel, judge, I pray you,
what the criminality of those is, who, like you, have slighted
all the blessings of salvation, which have been so freely offered,
and so fully set before you ? Jehovah himself appealed to his
people of old : " Judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vine
yard : what could have been done more for my vineyard, that I
have not done in it? And wherefore, when I looked that it
should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes f?" The
same appeal I must, in Jehovah's name, make to you also. The
various means of grace you have enjoyed in rich abundance ;
and they must be accounted for as talents which you were
bound to improve.]
2. Their danger is imminent-
fit is an awful truth, that " the word preached, if it be
not a savour of life to those who hear it, proves to them a
savour of death unto their death8." In fact, it is sometimes
sent to a people in judgment, rather than in mercy : " Go, and
tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not ; and see
ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people
fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they
see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand
with their heart, and convert, and be healed1'." No less than
six times is that passage quoted in the New Testament, to shew
us the immense importance of it, and to put us on our guard,
lest it be realized in us. We are warned, that " the earth
d John xv. 22. e Luke x. 23, 24. f Isai. v. 3, 4.
tf 2 Cor. ii. 16. h Isai. vi. 9, 10.
2072.] MINISTERS LABOURING IN VAIN. 171
which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and
bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed,
receiveth blessing- from God : but that which beareth thorns
and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing ; whose end is,
to be burned1." Ah ! think " how nigh the curse may be !"
and how tremendous it will be, when it shall fall upon you !
You know what was said to the barren fig-tree ; " Cut it down :
why cumbereth it the ground ?" And you also, though spared
for the present, through the intercession of your Lord, must
soon expect that doom, if you continue to make no return for
all the labour bestowed upon youk.]
APPLICATION —
1. Improve, then, the opportunities which are yet
afforded you—
[" The seed is sown on your hearts : look to it, that it be
not taken away by Satan, ere the process of vegetation has
taken place at all. Beware too, lest, if it spring up, it be not
soon withered for want of root ; or, if it continue to grow, it
be not choked by thorns, so as not to bring forth fruit to per
fection." Prepare your hearts, by meditation and prayer,
before you come to the house of God : and when you have
received the good seed, harrow it in by a repetition of the
same process : and bear in mind, that you are to requite the
labours of cultivation, by bringing forth fruit, according to the
measure of divine grace bestowed upon you1.]
2. Look forward to your great account—
[It is but a little time, and both you and I must give
account of our stewardship : I, of my ministrations ; and you,
of your improvement of them. If I have omitted to warn
you, and you perish through my neglect, woe be unto me ; for
"your blood will be required at my hands111." But if I have
been faithful to my high calling, then shall I have the joy of
presenting you to God ; saying, " Here am I, and the children
thou hast given men." O blessed day, if I may "have many
of you as my joy and crown of rejoicing in that day0!" On
the other hand, how painful is the thought, that against those
who have not improved the opportunities afforded them, I
shall " appear as a swift witness15;" and every sermon I have
ever delivered will testify against you, to your confusion q.
But let us hope that such shall not be the result of our meet
ing, my beloved brethren : no ; let me entreat you to give
1 Heb. vi. 7, 8. * Luke xiii. 6—9. l Matt. xiii. 18—23.
111 Ezek. xxxiii. 8. n Isai. viii. 18. ° 1 Thcss. ii. 19, 20.
i' Mai. iii, 5. <i Deut. xxxi. 21.
172 GALATIANS, IV. 18. [2073.
yourselves unto prayer ; — for me, that the blessing of God may
be upon my labours ; and for yourselves, that " ye may not
receive the grace of God in vainV]
r 2 Cor. vi. 1.
MMLXXIII.
THE NATURE AND IMPORTANCE OF CHRISTIAN ZEAL.
Gal. iv. 18. It is good to be zealously affected always in a
good thing.
MEN act with energy in things that are agreeable
to them. But while some are earnest in the support
of religion, others are no less active in opposing it.
This was the case with the false teachers, who sought
to exclude the Apostle, that they might extend their
own influence in the Churches of Galatia3. But
the Apostle justly condemns them, and recommends
energy in a better cause.
The text will lead us to consider,
I. The nature of Christian zeal-
Zeal is a strong affection of the mind ; and is good
or evil, according to the object towards which it is
directed, and the manner in which it is exercised. It
is more frequently in Scripture spoken of as evilb :
but there is also a Christian zeal ; which is distin
guished by two things :
1. It is good in its object—
[Some spend their zeal in things that are in themselves
sinful c: and others on things indifferent* : but the Christian's
zeal is directed to what is good : he maintains with steadfast
ness the faith of the Gospel6; and engages heartily in the
practice of its precepts f.]
a ver. 17. b Acts v. 17, 18. and xiii. 45. and xvii. 5.
c Phil. iii. 6. John xvi. 2.
d Mark vii. 3, 4. And those amongst ourselves who raise fierce
disputes about human ordinances.
e He follows the injunctions and examples of the apostles, in op
position to what is improperly called candour. Jude, ver. 3. Gal. i.
8, 9. 2 John, ver. 10.
f Tit. ii. 11, 12, 11.
2073.] THE NATURE OF CHRISTIAN ZEAL. 173
2. It is uniform in its operation—
[The zeal of many is only occasional and partial^ ; but
the Christian's is uniform and universal h : it has respect to
every duty ; stimulating to private and personal, as well as
public and official, duties. It does not, however, lay the same
stress on trifles, as on the weightier matters of the law ; but
proportions its exercise to the importance of the things about
which it is engaged.]
That such a zeal is truly praiseworthy, will appear,
while we point out,
II. Its excellence—
The text pronounces it to be " good ;" and not
without reason ; for,
1. It is that which stamps a value on all other
graces —
[What are the most excellent graces without this ? Faith
is only a cold assent; hope, a mere doubtful expectation; and
love, a general good-will, or rather, an empty name. The best
of services without this is a worthless formality. But, on the
other hand, the poorest and meanest service accompanied with
this, is pleasing to God. The widow's mite surpassed the rich
donations of the wealthy1 ; nor shall a cup of cold water lose
its re ward k.]
2. It is by that alone that we can honour God —
[Lukewarm services declare, in fact, that God is not
worthy of any better testimony of our esteem ; and hence it is
that they are so odious in his sight1. But, if we act with zeal,
we silently, yet powerfully, proclaim to all, that God is worthy
of all the love and honour we can render him. God himself
testifies, that if we observe the sabbath in a becoming manner,
we honour himm : and the same is true of every other duty we
perform.]
3. By that we may ensure success —
Exertion does not always command success in an earthly
race or warfare. But in spiritual things none can fail who
exert themselves with zeal in God's appointed ivay. " They
8 It shews itself only in things that require little or no self-denial.
h It " affects us always" not as a feverish, but a vital, heat ; not
as a meteor, but as the sun.
1 Mark xii. 41—44. k Matt. x. 42. 2 Cor. viii. 12.
1 Rev. iii. 1G. m Isai. Iviii. 13.
174 GALATIANS, IV. 18. [2073.
shall know, who follow on to know the Lord" ;" and to them
who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and
honour and immortality, shall eternal life assuredly be given0.
Many seek to enter into the kingdom of heaven, and are not
able : but none ever yet strove in vainp.]
ADDRESS—
1. Those who have no zeal at all in religion—
[Whatever zeal men exercise in their worldly callings,
few, alas ! are much in earnest about religion. The natural
man has no heart, no life or spirit in any thing he does for
God. But will the heart-searching God be pleased with mere
formal services ? We ourselves do not accept them favourably
at the hands of a fellow-creature; and shall God from wsq?
If we would ever be approved of God, let us follow that in
junction, " Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all
thy might r."]
2. Those who have declined in their zeal—
[" When iniquity abounds, the love of many will wax
cold." And are there none amongst us who have " left off to
behave themselves wisely;" none who have lost their first
love? Let the solemn charge addressed to such persons in
the primitive churches, be duly considered, and obediently
regarded8 : for " it were better never to have known the way
of righteousness, than, having known it, to turn from it1."]
3. Those who feel the importance and necessity of
zeal —
[Good as zeal is in a good cause, it may become pernicious
both to ourselves and others, if it be not properly directed.
There is " a zeal without knowledge11," which may easily be
mistaken for Christian zeal. Let all then who would serve
God acceptably, endeavour to have their zeal well regulated,
both with respect to its objects, and the manner of its opera
tion. Let their own sins, rather than the sins of others, and
their own duties, rather than those of others, be the first
objects of their regard. Let not a proud, bigoted, or vin
dictive spirit be cherished by them under the cloak of zealx;
but let every duty to God or man be tempered with meekness,
humility, and love. Let nothing bear such a preponderance
in their mind as to make any other duty appear light and
11 Hos. vi. 3. ° Rom. ii. 7. P Luke xiii. 24.
<J Matt. xv. 8, 9. v Eccl. ix. 10.
s Rev. ii. 4, 5. and iii. 19. * 2 Pet. ii. 21.
11 Rom. x. 2. x Luke ix. ,r>4.
2074.] A MINISTER'S CHIEF WISH FOR HIS PEOPLE. 175
insignificant. Let the world, the family, and the closet, have
each its proper portion of attention : and, with increasing
ardour, let them follow Christ, whose " meat was to do the
will of him that sent himy."]
y John iv. 34.
MMLXXIV.
A MINISTER'S CHIEF WISH FOR HIS PEOPLE.
Gal. iv. 1 9, 20. My little children, of whom I travail in birth
again, until Christ be formed in you, I desire to be present
with you now, and to change my voice ; for 1 stand in doubt
of you.
THE pastoral relation is described in the Scrip
tures by images well calculated to convey an idea of
anxious concern, and fond endearment. St. Paul
sometimes speaks of himself as " the father" of his
converts, as " having begotten them through the
Gospel a ;" and sometimes as their mother '• travail
ing in birth with them." Corresponding with these
images, are the feelings of a minister's heart in re
ference to his people. If he see them in a sick
and dying state, he will not be indifferent about their
recovery, but will, with parental tenderness, admi
nister such instruction and advice as may conduce to
their welfare. There are too many indeed, who,
from an affection of candour, hope well concerning
the states of all their people. But the faithful mi
nister dares not to act on such delusive principles ;
he knows the danger to which the unconverted are
exposed, and the awful responsibility of his own
office ; and therefore he will faithfully discharge his
duty, and " divide to every one the word of truth,"
consoling or reproving them as occasion may require.
In the words before us, we see,
I. What a minister chiefly desires on behalf of his
people —
a 1 Cor. iv. 15.
176 GALATIAi^S, IV. 19, 20. [2074.
As a parent rejoices to see his children prospering
in bodily health and worldly circumstances, so a
minister is glad to see his people free from sickness
and distress. He is thankful too, if he behold an
outward reformation among them, and a diligent
attendance on ordinances, and the establishment of
family prayer, and a decided approbation of the
Gospel record. But all this falls very far short of
his wishes. He never is satisfied respecting them,
until he have a clear evidence that "Christ is formed
in them,"
1. As a vital principle in their hearts —
[Whatever they may have, or whatever they may do, they
have no spiritual life, till " Christ liveth in themV If " Christ
dwell not in their hearts, they are no other than reprobates0."
" Christ is the life" of the soul, as much as the soul is the life
of the bodyd. He animates all our faculties ; and without him
they are as incapable of spiritual exertions as a breathless corpse
is of performing the functions of a living body e. " Christ in us
is the hope of glory f;" and all profession of religion, without
the in-dwelling of his Spirit in our souls, is only like the motion
and re-union of the dry bones, before God has breathed into
them a principle of life g.]
2. As a visible character in their lives—
[Concerning the quickening of a soul, we can judge only
by its actions. While therefore a minister desires that his
people may be really alive to God, he looks for the fruits of
righteousness as the proper evidence of their regeneration.
He expects to find " Christ formed" in their tempers, their
spirit, their whole conduct. He is not contented to behold
such virtues as may be found in heathens : he longs to see in
them a victory over the world, a supreme delight in God, an
unwearied exercise of all holy and heavenly affections. He is
satisfied with nothing but an entire " renovation after the
Divine image11," and a " walking in all things as Christ
walked1."]
But as this change is rarely so satisfactory as might
be wished, we proceed to shew,
b Gal. ii. 20. c Eph. iii. 17. 2 Cor. xiii. 5.
d Col. iii. 4. e John xv. 5. f Col. i. 27.
e Ezek. xxxvii. 7 — 10. h Eph. iv. 24. Col. iii. 10.
1 1 John ii. 6.
2074.] A MINISTER'S CHIEF WISH FOR HIS PEOPLE. 177
II. When he has reason to stand in doubt of them
respecting it—
In every place where the Gospel is faithfully
preached, there are some of whom the minister may
enjoy a full and confident persuasion of their accept
ance with God. But there will also be some respect
ing whom he must feel many anxious fears. This
will be the case, wherever he sees them,
1. Fluctuating in their principles—
[The Galatians had been warped by means of Judaizing
teachers, and turned from the simplicity of the Gospel k: and
on this account the Apostle " feared he had bestowed upon
them labour in vain1." It is much to be regretted, when
godly persons are distracted by " matters of doubtful dispu
tation." They always, in a greater or less degree, " suffer
loss " by means of it, because their attention is divided, and
the energy of their minds, in reference to their more important
concerns, is weakened. But when, as in the case of the Gala
tians, their doubts relate to the fundamental doctrines of
Christianity, their danger is exceeding great. They shew that
they are only " children, when they are tossed to and fro by
every wind of doctrine"1 ;" and their want of establishment
in the faith gives reason to fear lest they should be finally
overthrown".]
2. Unsteady in their conduct —
[Such was the state of the Galatians. When the Apostle
was with them, they were " zealously affected with good
things0:" but now he was absent from them, their love to him,
and to the truth itself, had cooled ; and their zeal was turned
into a very different channel13. No wonder then that " he
travailed in birth with them again," since they betrayed such
fickleness of mind. Thus, wherever we see a zeal that is only
occasional in its exercise, or partial in its operation, we may
well " stand in doubt of" such persons. If the ardour of their
minds decay, or be called forth chiefly about the non-essentials
of religion ; if they are more occupied about church-government
than about the government of their own tongues ; and more
offended at the miscarriages of their brethren than at the evils
of their own hearts ; if they are violent about doctrines, and
remiss in practice ; there is but too much reason to groan and
k Gal. i. 6, 7. and iii. 1. l ver. 9 — 11.
m Eph. iv. 14. " Heb. xiii. 9. ° ver. 18.
P ver. 14 — 17.
VOL. XVII. N
178 GALATIANS, IV. 19, 20. [2074.
tremble for them. They are " like a cake not turned,"
(doughy on one side, and burnt up on the other,) alike unac
ceptable both to God and manq. And it is to be feared that
they will prove at last to be only hypocrites and apostates r.]
Such doubts must needs be painful in proportion
to the regard we feel for our people's welfare, and
the importance of the object which we desire on their
behalf. Every minister therefore should inquire,
III. By what means he may most effectually pro
mote it in them—
Waving other things which might be mentioned,
we shall notice two, which more immediately arise
from the text ; namely,
1. A personal intercourse with them—
[The evils arising from the non-residence of ministers is
incalculable8. But a minister may reside in the same place
with his people, and yet profit them very little, if he have not
a private acquaintance with them, and frequent conversations
with them on the concerns of their souls. His public minis
trations cannot be sufficiently particular to enter into the
views and feelings of all his congregation. Errors may be
come inveterate in their minds, before he knows any thing
about them. We do not impute blame to the Apostle for not
abiding with the Galatians ; because his commission was to
preach the Gospel throughout the world: but we are well
assured, that the Judaizing teachers would never have gained
such an ascendency over them, if he had abode with them as
their stated pastor. His presence would have been more
advantageous to them than a hundred letters; on which ac
count he says, " I desire to be present with you now." Let
ministers then avail themselves of this advantage ; and the
people give them every opportunity of access to them.]
2. A suiting of his address to their respective
cases —
[When the Apostle was with the Galatians, he com
forted and encouraged them. Now in this epistle he warned
and reproved them : and if, by conversing with them, he could
restore them to their former state, he would gladly " change
his voice," and speak to them again in terms of approbation
i Hos. vii. 8. ' Matt, xxiii. 23, 24.
s This should be fully stated, if this text were the subject of a
discourse preached before the Clergy.
2074.] A MINISTER'S CHIEF WISH FOR HIS PEOPLE. 179
and confidence. He would adapt himself to the state of every
individual, distinguishing the different degrees of criminality
that were found in each, and " giving to each his proper
portion of consolation or reproof, as the season" or occasion
required1. In this way ought ministers to address their
people. The speaking only in a general manner leaves the
greater part of our hearers in an ignorance of their real state.
We should descend to men's business and bosoms. We
should " warn the unruly, comfort the feeble-minded, and
support the weaku." We should answer the objections, solve
the doubts, and rectify the errors, of our people ; and, by
suitable instructions, confirm them in the faith. It is in this
way only that we can enjoy much satisfaction in them, or
expect to have them as " our joy and crown of rejoicing in
the day of judgment*."]
ADDRESS—
1. Those of whom we stand in doubt —
[Think us not uncharitable on account of the fears we
express: "we are jealous over you with a godly jealousy y."
If we felt as we ought, we should be pained and distressed as
a woman in her travail, while we see any of you in a doubtful
state. We must desire to see in you what we know to be
essentially necessary to your salvation : and while we behold
any allowed and habitual deviations from the Gospel, whether
it be in principle or practice, we must warn you of your
danger. Would you have us tell you that you are safe, when
we are doubtful whether Christ be formed in you? When
we observe one proud, another passionate, another covetous,
another unforgiving, another censorious, another formal, would
you have us satisfied respecting you? Surely our anxiety
about you is the best proof of our love : and we earnestly en
treat you all " to judge yourselves, that ye may not be judged
of the Lord2."]
2. Those of whom we entertain no doubt— t-
[ Where shall we find persons of this description? Where ?
alas ! in every place. Can we stand in doubt about the swearer,
the Sabbath-breaker, the whoremonger, the adulterer ? Can
we stand in doubt of those who live without secret prayer;
of those who never felt their need of having Christ formed in
them, nor ever endeavoured to conform themselves to his
example ? No : infidels may stand in doubt ; but they who
believe the Bible cannot doubt at alla; the state of all such
* Luke xii. 42. u 1 Thess. v. 14. * 1 Thess. ii. 19, 20.
y 2 Cor. xi. 2. * 1 Cor. xi. 31. * Gal. v. 10— 21 . Eph. v. 6.
x 2
ISO GALAT1ANS, IV. 22—24. [2075.
persons is as clear as the light at noon-day ; and their in
ability to see it, only proves how awfully " the god of this
world hath blinded their eyes." We must declare unto you,
brethren, and would speak it with tears of pity and of grief b,
that, if you die before that Christ has been formed in you,
" it would have been better for you that you had never been
bornc."
But there are others also of whom we cannot doubt; I
mean, the humble, spiritual, devoted " followers of the Lamb."
Of these even infidels entertain no doubt ; because, upon their
own principles, they who are most virtuous are most safe.
But they have also the word of Jehovah on their side : and, if
we were to stand in doubt of them, we must doubt the states
of all the holy Prophets and Apostles, whose faith they follow,
and whose example they imitate. No : in such as them are
found " the things that accompany salvation d." We congra
tulate them therefore on the safety and happiness of their
state : and " we are confident that He who hath begun the
good work in them, will perform it until the day of Jesus
Christ6." They may indeed have sometimes doubts and fears
in their own minds : but we say unto them, in the name of the
Most High God, " Fear not, little flock ; for it is the Father's
good pleasure to give you the kingdom f."]
b Phil. iii. 18. c Matt. xxvi. 24. d Heb. vi. 9.
e Phil. i. 6. f Luke xii. 32.
MMLXXV.
SARAH AND HAGAR TYPES.
Gal. iv. 22 — 24. It is written , that Abraham had two sons,
the one by a bond-maid, the other by a free-woman. But he
who ivas of the bond-woman ivas born after the flesh ; but he
of the free-woman ivas by promise. Which things are an
allegory.
THERE are many things in the Old Testament
which we should have passed over as unworthy of
any particular notice, if their use and importance
had not been pointed out to us in the New Testa
ment. Such is the occurrence which is here referred
to ; and which the Apostle found to be of singular
use to illustrate the nature of the Gospel covenant.
He was endeavouring to counteract the influence of
those Judaizing teachers, who had perverted the
2075.] SARAH AND HAGAR TYPES. 181
faith of the Galatians : with this view he expostulates
with those who had turned aside to a compliance
with the ceremonial law ; and shews them, by an
allegorical explanation of the history before us, that
the law itself might have taught them a very different
conduct.
To understand the allegory in all its parts, we
must attend carefully to the main scope of it, which
is, to shew, that, as both Sarah and Hagar brought
forth children to Abraham, yet those children dif
fered widely from each other; so the old and new
covenants bring forth, as it were, children to God ;
but there will be found, between their respective off
spring, such a difference as may well deter men from
returning to the covenant of works, and make them
resolutely adhere to the covenant of grace.
We may observe then a corresponding difference
between the two women and their offspring, and the
two covenants and their offspring,
I. In their nature—
[Ishmael, the son of the bond-woman, was born according
to the common course of nature : but Isaac, the son of the
free-woman, was born in a preternatural way, through the
more immediate agency of God himself.
Thus they, who are under the law, have nothing but what
they derive in a natural way from their parents. They may
possess strong intellects, and discover many amiable qualities ;
but whatsoever they have, it is all carnal ; no part of it is
spiritual ; their reason is carnal reason ; their affections are
carnal affections. But they, who are under the covenant of
grace, are " born of God ;" their faculties are all renewed ;
their views and desires are spiritual ; they have " put oft' the
old man, and put on the new ;" yea, they are partakers, as far
as flesh and blood can be, of a divine nature a. Hence they
are called " new creatures ;" and are as much distinguished
from the mere natural man, as light is from darkness, or Christ
from Belial b.
This is the first point of distinction which the Apostle him
self notices ; and it is confirmed by the declaration of our
Lord, that whatsoever is born of the flesh is carnal ; whereas,
that which is born of the Spirit (as all who embrace the new
covenant, are) is spiritual0.]
a 2 Pet. 1. 4. b 2 Cor. vi. M, 15. <•' ver, 23. with John iii. 6,
182 GALATIANS, IV. 20—24. [2075.
II. In their disposition—
[Ishmael, being born of the bond-woman, was himself a
slave ; and therefore must, of necessity, have a servile spirit :
but Isaac, the child of promise, felt all that freedom of spirit
which an affectionate and beloved child is privileged to enjoy.
Thus the children of the old covenant are " brought forth
to bondage." They may obey in many respects the will of
their Father; but they are invariably actuated, either by self-
righteous hopes, or slavish fears. Whatever they do for God,
it is "grudgingly and of necessity:" his work is irksome to
them ; or, if at any time it be pleasant, their satisfaction arises
from pride and self-complacency, and not from any delight
they feel in his service. But the children of the new covenant
are enabled to walk before God with holy confidence and joy.
They serve him, not from fear, but from love ; not that he
may save them, but because he has saved them. Whatever
they want, they make known their requests to him, assured
that he will gladly do for them more than they can ask or
think. Thus they maintain sweet fellowship with him, regard
ing him in all things, not as a master or a judge, but as a
father and a friend.
This distinction too is marked by the Apostle, who says also
in another place, that believers have not received the spirit of
bondage again to fear, but the spirit of adoption, whereby they
cry Abba, Father d.]
III. In their conduct —
[Whatever outward conformity Ishmael might shew to
his father's will, it is certain he was averse to it in his heart ;
for he persecuted Isaac on account of his superior piety, and
derided him for claiming an exclusive right to his father's
inheritance : but Isaac patiently endured the trial, " knowing
in whom he had believed," and that " He was faithful who
had promised."
Thus it is with all the children of the old covenant : they
may obey the law in many points ; but they do not really
love it in any respect: on the contrary, they hate those,
whose superior piety is a reproach to them, and who profess,
that the children of promise shall exclusively inherit their
Father's kingdom. " The saints and the elect" are with them
terms not of respect and honour, but of mockery and derision.
Our Lord teaches all his followers to expect this treatment,
and to expect it on this very account from those, who are
merely born after the flesh : " if," says he, " ye were of the
world, the world would love its own ; but because ye are not
d ver. 24, 25. with Rom. viii. 15.
2075.] SARAH AND HAGAR TYPES. 183
of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, there
fore the world hateth you6." The children of the new covenant,
in the mean time, meekly bear the cross ; " being defamed,
they entreat ; being persecuted, they suffer it ;" " committing
themselves to him that judgeth righteously," and waiting the
accomplishment of all his promises.]
IV. In their end—
[Ishmael, by his conduct, brought upon himself that very
exclusion, which he had confidently supposed would never
take place : and Isaac in due time inherited the portion,
which, in dependence on God's word, he had professed to
expect. Nor was the difference made merely through the
partiality of the parents, but by the express order of God
himself1.
Thus shall they, who are under the law, be, ere long,
banished from their Father's house. In vain shall they plead
their carnal relation to God, and his people : they belong to a
covenant that entails on them a curse, and not a blessing g:
and though they will not be persuaded of their danger now,
yet will they find at last, that their confidence was presumption,
and their hope vanity h. On the contrary, they who are under
the covenant of grace will inherit the promised land : their
professions shall be vindicated, their expectations realized,
their hopes accomplished: and to eternity shall they dwell
with God, as monuments of his sovereign grace, and his un
changing faithfulness.]
We shall still continue to follow the Apostle in the
IMPROVEMENT of this subject. It is useful,
1. For examination —
[There cannot be a more interesting inquiry than this,
Am I a ''child of the bond-woman, or of the free1?" Nor
will it be at all difficult to attain a satisfactory knowledge of
our state, if we will but follow the clew, which this instructive
allegory affords us. Let us ask ourselves then, What have
I that nature cannot give, and that evidently marks me as
born of God ? Am I walking with God in the daily exercise
of filial affection, accounting his service to be perfect freedom ;
or am I rendering him only a formal, partial, and constrained
obedience ? Do I look for heaven as the free gift of God
through Jesus Christ ; and expect it solely on the humiliating
terms of the new covenant : or am I ready to take offence at
e ver. 29. with John xv. 19. f Gen. xxi. 10, 12.
s Gal. iii. 10.
h ver. ,30. with John viii. 35. and Matt. viii. 11, 12.
1 ver. 31.
184 GALATIANS, IV. 30. [2076.
the electing love of God, and to deride as deluded enthusiasts
those, who found all their hopes upon it ? According to the
answer which conscience gives to these queries, we may deter
mine to which covenant we belong, and consequently, what
our end must be when \ve go hence. Let our inquiries then
be prosecuted with care and diligence, that, when our state is
ascertained, we may tremble or rejeice, as the occasion may
require.]
2. For direction—
[When we are brought under the covenant of grace, we
are ever in danger of returning, as many of the Galatians did,
to the covenant of works. We are prone to indulge self-
righteous hopes, and servile fears. We are ready to confound
the covenants by associating works with our faith as joint-
grounds of our hope. But we must carefully avoid this, and
watch against every approach towards it. We must " stand
fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free ; and
never more be entangled with the yoke of bondage k." " Sal
vation is by grace through faith :" and " it is by faith, that it
may be by grace." The very instant we mix any work of
ours with Christ's obedience unto death, we fall from grace,
and Christ becomes of no effect to us1. Faith and works, as
grounds of our justification before God, are opposites, and can
no more be blended than light and darkness"1. Let us then
hold fast the covenant of grace ; and, in spite of all the
persecution which our profession may bring upon us, let us
" maintain our confidence, and the rejoicing of our hope, firm
unto the end."]
k Gal. v. 1. i Gal. v. 2, 4. m Rom. xi. 6. with iv. 14.
MMLXXVI.
JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH MAINTAINED.
Gal. iv. 30. Nevertheless what saith the Scripture ? Cast out
the bond-woman and her son : for the son of the bond-woman
shall not be heir with the son of the free-woman.
THE whole of God's blessed word is highly in
structive ; and the Old Testament is an excellent
preparative for the New. Indeed, those who are at
all conversant with Scripture, expect to find mys
teries in the ceremonial law, because that is con
fessedly a shadow of good things to come : but few
2076.] JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH MAINTAINED. 185
are aware how much is to be found in the historical
parts of the Old Testament. We are, however, in
no danger of erring, if we say that the sacrifice which
Abel offered was not a mere accidental difference
from that of Cain ; but a typical exhibition of the
sacrifice of Christ, to which, by faith, the pious
offerer had respect3. The preservation of Noah from
the deluge, too, was not a mere mercy vouchsafed to
himself and family ; but a type of the benefit which
we receive by baptism, which, through the resurrec
tion of Jesus Christ, saves us, (on a supposition we
have received it aright,) as the ark, by its buoyancy,
saved him from destruction by the tempestuous bil
lows b. In my text, there is reference to what we
might have supposed to be an accidental disagree
ment in Abraham's family. We might naturally
suppose that a wife and a concubine would not agree
very well, and that their children would prove a
source of mutual animosity. And so it turned out.
But was this a mere accidental circumstance ? No :
it was permitted of God, in order to afford a good
occasion for illustrating the covenant of grace, and
the exclusive blessedness of those who adhered to it.
You will perceive, that, in my text the words of
Hagar are cited as a, general rule of procedure in
reference to the souls of men at the last day : and as
they are somewhat intricate, and have at the same
time an appearance of harshness and severity, I will
endeavour to explain and vindicate the declaration
contained in them.
Here is evidently a sentence denounced : and my
endeavour shall be,
I. To explain the sentence-
To understand it aright, we must consider what
was the subject in dispute between the Apostle and
his opponents.
Some Judaizing teachers had drawn away his Ga-
latian converts from the pure Gospel which he had
taught them, to an affiance in the ceremonial law.
H Heb. xi. 4. b 1 Pet. iii. 20, 21.
18(3 GALATIANS, IV. 30. [2076.
And, to bring them back to the truth of Christ, he
shewed them, throughout this whole epistle, that sal
vation is by faith alone ; and that to attempt to build
our hopes in any measure on the law of works, was
to " pervert the Gospel," and, in fact, to introduce
" another Gospel0." In confirmation of this senti
ment, he proves, at large, that salvation is by faith
only : he proves it, I say,
1. In a way of argumentative discussion —
[In the beginning of the preceding chapter, after remind
ing them that through the preaching of faith, and not by any
works of the law, they had obtained the miraculous influences
of the Holy Spirit d, he reminds them of the way in which Abra
ham was justified. This was by faith, as the Gospel preached
to Abraham had foretold, in relation both to himself and all
his spiritual seed : and, consequently, we must be saved in
the same way as hee He then proves the same from
the very terms in which the Law and the Gospel are promulgated;
the one requiring obedience, and the other faith ; the one kill
ing, and the other giving life f He next adduces the end
for which Christ came into the world. This was not to give
men an opportunity of saving themselves by the law ; but to
redeem them, by his own death, from the curses of the law ;
and to open a way for the blessing which had been promised
to Abraham to descend upon them through the exercise of
faithg— - From thence he leads them to the contemplation
of the covenant in which all the blessings of salvation were con
tained. This covenant had been made with Abraham, four
hundred and thirty years before the law was given to Moses ;
and in it, all the believing seed of Abraham were interested.
Now, this covenant could never be annulled, except by the
consent of all the parties contained in it. But a very small
part of those who were interested in that covenant were
present when the law was given. That was only given to
Abraham's children after the flesh : his spiritual children had
nothing to do with it : and therefore to them is the covenant
of grace as valid as ever ; the publication of the law having
made no difference in it whatever11 -Here, supposing
naturally that his opponent would ask, " Of what use then the
law was ? " he proceeds to shew, that it was not given in order
to establish any thing in opposition to the Gospel, but to
c Gal. i. 6, 7. d Gal. iii. 2, 5.
e Gal. iii. 6 — 9. All the verses quoted from this chapter and the
next should be cited at length.
f Gal. iii. 10—12. s Gal. iii. 13, 14. h Gal. iii. 15—18.
2076.] JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH MAINTAINED. 187
operate in subserviency to the Gospel ; shewing men their
need of it; and, like a schoolmaster, disciplining them for the
grateful reception of it1 and, consequently, now that
the Gospel was fully revealed they should adhere to it, and
look for acceptance solely by faith in itk —
Here another question would arise. If the law was given
to the Jews from the time of Moses, in what state were those
Jews ? Were they under the covenant of grace, or under the
covenant of works? This he answers, by shewing that they
were, in fact, under the covenant of grace ; but yet, that they
were like minors, who, whilst they are under age, differ but
little from servants ; not having any further enjoyment of their
inheritance than their tutors and governors judged expedient
for them. The time, however, being now come for them to
enter on their possessions without restraint, he exhorts them
to avail themselves of their liberty, and to walk no more as
servants under bondage ; but as sons and heirs, at perfect
liberty1
Thus he has made it appear, that to live under bondage to
the law, is to abandon our dearest privileges, and to violate
our most solemn duties.
He now proceeds, after some suitable admonitions, to esta
blish the same truth,]
2. In a way of allegorical illustration —
[In the history to which the Apostle refers, we should
not, I confess, have seen any confirmation of the doctrine before
us, if one who was inspired of God himself had not explained
it to us. The transaction was this : Sarah, Abraham's wife,
saw Ishmael, who was Abraham's son by Hagar, mocking
her son Isaac. I apprehend that Ishmael derided Isaac, the
younger son, for presuming to assert his title to his father's
inheritance, in preference to him, who was the elder. Sarah,
indignant at this behaviour, desired Abraham to expel Hagar
and her son from his presence ; saying, " Cast out the bond
woman and her son ; for the son of the bond-woman shall not
be heir with my son, even with Isaac." This was exceedingly
grievous to Abraham, who felt a paternal love for Ishmael, and
knew not how to part with him : but God himself confirmed
the word that had been spoken ; and enjoined Abraham to
comply with his wife's request, since it was his determination
that " in Isaac should Abraham's seed be called"1."
Now, in my text, we are told, that under this domestic
occurrence a great mystery was veiled ; for that it represented
the distinction which should, to all eternity, be made between
1 Gal. iii. 19—24. k Gal. iii. 25—29.
1 ver. 1—7. m Gen. xxi. 9—12.
188 GALATIANS, IV. 30. [2076.
those who cleaved to the covenant of works, and those who
should lay hold on the covenant of grace. Hagar, a bond
woman, represented the legal covenant which should in due
time be made on Mount Sinai ; as her son Ishmael did the
persons who should adhere to it: whereas Sarah, the married
wife, represented the covenant of grace which had already
been made with Abraham ; and her son Isaac, the persons
who should obtain an interest in that. Now, all persons, by
nature, live under the covenant of works : but divine grace,
where it operates, brings men under the covenant of grace :
but all the former will be cast out from God ; and the latter
only will be partakers of his inheritance : and this distinction,
we are told, was intended to be marked in the foregoing
history. It may appear hard that such a distinction should
ever be made : but made it shall be ; God having declared this
to be his sovereign will, his irrevocable decree : " Cast out the
bond-woman and her son ; for the son of the bond-woman shall
not be heir with the son of the free-woman"."
Shall it be said, that this is too figurative and too recondite
to add any weight to the preceding argument? I answer:
This very circumstance, of its being so figurative and so re
condite, gives it, in my mind, even greater weight than if it had
been more plain and obvious ; because it shews the unspeak
able importance of that truth which it is brought to confirm.
Had not the doctrine of justification by faith alone been of
prime and indispensable necessity to every child of man, the
Apostle would have been satisfied with establishing it by the
train of argument which he has pursued: but, feeling that
the rejection of it would prove fatal to the soul, he would omit
nothing that could contribute to the enforcing of it on men's
consciences, or the impressing of it on their minds.]
Aware, however, that, in the opinion of many,
there are strong objections to this doctrine, I will
proceed,
II. To vindicate it —
Against the very act itself, which is referred to in
my text, we should have been rather disposed to
object, if it had not been approved by God himself:
we should have thought Abraham would have been
better employed in pacifying the rage of Sarah, than
in lending himself as an instrument to give it energy
and effect. We should have thought it more worthy
of him to use his influence for the purpose of allaying
n ver. 21 — 31.
2076.] JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH MAINTAINED. 189
domestic feuds, than to exert his authority for the
rendering of them irreconcileable and eternal. But
God commanded it ; and therefore it must, of neces
sity, have been right, whether we can explain the
reasons of it or not. And the doctrine which it was
intended to shadow forth is right, whether we can
understand it or not. To exclude from salvation all
who adhere to the covenant of works, and to save
those only who lay hold on the covenant of grace,
may appear unjust, severe, and partial: but we will
undertake to vindicate it from all that can be said
against it, even from every charge,
1. Of injustice —
[If it had pleased God to deal with fallen man precisely
as he had dealt with fallen angels, what injustice would he
have done to any ? Wherein did we merit an interposition
in our favour more than they ? Why, when we had violated
the old covenant, should he enter into a new covenant, where
by we might be restored to his favour ? Why, in order to
render this measure consistent with his glorious perfections,
should he give us his only-begotten Son to bear our sins, and
to effect a reconciliation for us through the blood of his cross ?
Could we claim any such mercy at his hands ? Or, could any
one have had reason to complain, if no such mercy had been
ever manifested ? What injustice, then, can be done to any
one, by confining mercy to this particular channel ; and by
requiring this new covenant in Christ Jesus to be made our
hope and our plea, in order to our participation of its benefits ?
If we neither had, nor could have, any claim for mercy at all,
we certainly can have no ground for complaint against God, for
offering it in a way honourable to himself; and not granting
it in a way of our own, that would reflect dishonour on every
one of his perfections.]
2. Of severity—
[Though the shutting up of mankind to one only way of
salvation may not be altogether unjust) yet it may be deemed
somewhat unmerciful and severe ; because it makes the rejec
tion of that salvation a fresh ground of offence, and involves the
offender in deeper guilt and misery than he could otherwise
have incurred. But there is no undue severity in this. Let
us suppose that God had acted towards the fallen angels as he
has towards us. Let us suppose that he had sent his only dear
Son to bear their punishment in his own person, and to work
out a righteousness whereby they might be justified ; and that
190 GALATIANS, IV. 30. [2076.
he had offered to restore to his favour every soul among them
who would accept it in his Son's name ; but would account all
who should reject this overture as having added pride and
ingratitude to all their other sins, and make them answerable
for this their augmented guilt: is there one of us that would
conceive God to be acting with severity towards them ? Is
there one who would not regard this as a stupendous effort of
love and mercy, and acknowledge, that all who should despise
this proffered mercy would deserve their appointed doom ?
But there is another evil, which the despisers of the new
covenant are guilty of: they invariably "mock "and deride
those who found all their hopes upon it. They may not, in
deed, be open scoffers, like Ishmael ; but in their hearts they
do of necessity " mock at the counsel of the poor, who putteth
his trust in God0." At this hour, as well as in the Apostle's
days, it may be said, " As, then, he that was born after the
flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so
it is now" How then can it be supposed that these con-
temners of God's people should be made heirs together with
them? or, what severity can there be in refusing to them a
portion which they so wantonly despise? The sentence, as
denounced by Sarah, might have been deemed severe ; but, as
inflicted by the Most High God, it is merited in its full ex
tent : for not even Satan himself was ever guilty of rejecting
a Saviour, and pouring contempt on redeeming love.]
3. Of partiality-
fit is not persons, but characters, that are rejected of God :
nor is it from descent, lout from choice, that they fall short of
the promised inheritance. In this respect, the parallel be
tween the history and the doctrine established by it must be
drawn with a due attention to all the circumstances, and must
not be pressed too far. That was but a shadow ; and we
must distinguish between resemblance and identity. Ishmael
shadowed forth those who are born after the flesh : Isaac
represented those who are born after the Spirit : the former
therefore characterizes all of us in our natural state ; the
latter, those who are regenerated by the Spirit of God. The
latter, it is true, owe all their happiness to God's electing love :
but the former can never ascribe their misery to any decree of
absolute reprobation. The blessings of salvation are offered
equally to all : the sins of all were equally borne by the Lord
Jesus Christ in his own body on the cross : for " he is a propi
tiation, not for our sins only, but also for the sins of the ivhole
world" " The Lord laid on him the iniquities of us all."
Though born of the bond-woman, we may by grace become
0 Ps. xiv. 10.
2076.] JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH MAINTAINED. 191
children of the free : and, if we will not avail ourselves of this
proffered mercy, the fault is altogether our own. In the pa
rable of the Marriage-supper, the man who was cast out for not
having on the wedding-garment, is represented as " speech
less," having not a word to utter in his own defence. He, it
is true, was poor, and had been brought in suddenly from the
highways and hedges : but a wedding-garment had been pro
vided for him by the Master of the feast, and would have been
given him if he had asked for it: and therefore he was justly
punished for presuming to appear at table without it. So is
salvation provided fcr every child of man : and he who neglects
to seek it, must trace his failure to that neglect. The word of
our blessed Lord is decisive upon this point : " Him that cometh
unto me, I will in no wise CAST OUT :" if therefore the sentence
be passed on us, " CAST OUT that son of the bond-woman," we
know whom alone we have to blame : the fault is not in God,
as unwilling to save us ; but in ourselves, as neglecting to seek
salvation at his hands.]
From this subject we may SEE,
1. What is the one standard and test of truth—
[Men place reliance on their own opinions, and cite as
authority the opinions of others. But man is weak and
fallible. Even in relation to things which come most under
his cognizance, he is apt to err : but in the things of God,
which, of necessity, are so remote from his apprehensions, he
is entitled to no confidence at all ; seeing that he can know
nothing, any further than it has been revealed to him by God
himself. But it is in the sacred volume alone that we have
any revelation from God; and therefore that must, of ne
cessity, be the only standard and test of truth. " To the
word and to the testimony," says the prophet : " if men speak
not according to this word, it is because there is no light in
them P." Tell me not then, thou vain disputer, what thy sen
timents are. " What saith the Scripture ?" Thou imaginest
that thou canst lay down laws for God, and tell how he shall
regulate his proceedings in the day of judgment : but I must
declare to thee, that " thy wisdom," however great thou mayest
imagine it, " is foolishness with God ;" and that his counsel
shall stand, whether thou wilt hear, or whether thou wilt
forbear.]
2. On what ground our eternal destinies shall be
fixed—
[I well know that men shall be judged according to their
works. But we greatly mistake, if we suppose that our faith
P Isai. viii. 20.
192 GALATIANS, V. 1. [2077.
shall not become a ground of decision, either against us or in
our favour, as much as any other work. It is as much " a
command from God, that we believe in his Son, as that we
should love one another9:" and our compliance with it must
equally be made a subject of inquiry at that day. We may
think it strange, perhaps, that God should take such matters
into account in the final judgment: but, whatever opinion we
may form respecting it, God will then say, " Cast out the
bond-woman and her son : for the son of the bond-woman
shall not be heir with the son of the free-woman." It will
not be found a matter of such indifference, then, whether we
believed in Christ or not, and whether we embraced the cove
nant of grace. No : this new covenant contains all the
wonders of Divine wisdom, and love, and mercy : and, if we
flee not to it from the terrors of the broken law, and from the
fallacious hopes which are engendered by pride, his sentence
will come forth against us, to our irreparable and eternal ruin.
Take ye care then, beloved, that ye deceive not your own
souls. Examine diligently whose children ye are, and to
which family ye belong. Renounce all dependence on your
own works, and lay hold on the promises of God in Christ
Jesus. So shall "you, like Isaac, be the children of promise1";"
and with him be partakers of an everlasting inheritance.]
<i 1 John iii. 23. r ver. 28.
MMLXXVII.
LIBERTY OF THE CHRISTIAN.
Gal. v. 1. Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ
hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke
of bondage.
THE doctrine of justification by faith is inculcated
throughout all the Holy Scriptures,, even in parts
where we should never have thought of looking for
it. Not only was it fully and explicitly declared to
Abraham ; but it was allegorically set forth by his
putting away of Hagar and her son Ishmael, and his
constituting of Isaac his sole heir. This was intended
by God to shadow forth to us that we cannot be
saved by the legal covenant, the covenant of works ;
but that we must embrace, and be saved by, the new
covenant, the covenant of grace a. By the covenant
* Gal. iv. 21—31.
2077.] LIBERTY OF THE CHRISTIAN. 193
of grace we are liberated from the bondage of the
covenant of works ; and " in this liberty it becomes
us all to stand fast."
We shall be led from these words to notice,
I. The Christian's privilege—
The Christian is a believer in Christ : and by his
faith he is made a partaker of all that Christ has pro
cured for him. He was formerly under the law ;
and by that law was condemned. As long as he
continued under that law, he continued under the
curse. But " Christ has freed him from that law b,"
and brought him to a state of perfect liberty.
1. By suffering the penalty due to his transgres
sions, he has released us from it—
[Christ became the Surety and Substitute of sinful man.
Did we owe a debt which it was impossible for us to pay ? He
discharged it for us, even to the uttermost farthing. Were we
under the curse of the broken law ? " He became a curse for
usc," and endured all that was due to our sins. Hence there
remains " now no condemnation to usd." " If only we believe
in Christ, we are justified from all things6," and " our sins are
blotted out as a morning cloud."]
2. By giving us faith, he has brought us into a
better covenant —
[There is a new covenant, which is a perfect contrast
with the old covenant. The old covenant cursed us for one
transgression, and provided no remedy for us whatever : the
new covenant provides for us all that our necessities can re
quire — pardon, and peace, and holiness, and glory. Into this
covenant all are brought, who believe in Jesus. He therefore,
by imparting faith to our souls, translates us from the one to
the other ; and both liberates from all the evils of the former,
and conveys to us all the blessings of the latter. From the
very instant of our believing in Christ, we cease to have any
thing either to hope or fear from the covenant of works :
we are dead to it, and it is dead to us : it is abrogated and
annulled : and, like a woman released from her nuptial bonds
by the death of her husband, we are at liberty to " unite our
selves to Christ, that through him we may bring forth fruit
unto Godf." Thus, "being made free by Christ, we are made
free indeed g."]
b Rom. viii. 2. c Rom. iii. 13. d Rom. viii. 1.
e Acts xiii. 39. f Rom. vii. 4. « John viii. 36.
VOL. XVII. O
194 GALATIANS, V. 1. [2077.
We may easily conceive, from hence, what is,
II. The Christian's duty-
Privilege and duty comprehend all that constitutes
religion. In themselves they are widely different ;
but they are never to be separated from each other.
Possessing this high privilege of freedom from the
law, we are to " stand fast in it ;"
1. Against the influence of false teachers —
[There were such among the Jews, who were extremely
zealous in propagating their sentiments, and in endeavouring
to subvert the faith of Christ. And such there are at this day.
What is the whole system of popery, but an establishment of
the covenant of works ? It inculcates, in all its ordinances, the
merit of good works, and teaches men to expect salvation by
their works. And what do they who teach that we are justi
fied by the act of baptism ; and they who administer the
Lord's supper to dying persons as a passport to heaven ? I
deny not the use or efficacy of the sacraments, when duly
received : but, to teach men to rely on the mere administration
of them, irrespective of the manner, and mind, and spirit in
which they are received, is as fatal an error as ever was
broached : it is nothing but popery revived amongst us.
Against all such errors, by whomsoever they are inculcated,
you must be on your guard. If Peter himself make such an
use of a sacrament, he must be reproved, as a traitor to the
cause of Christ11 : and " if an angel from heaven were to bring
such a doctrine as that, he must be held accursed1."]
2. Against the devices of Satan —
[That great adversary is ever fighting against Christ ; and
endeavouring to " blind men, lest the light of Christ's glory
should shine unto themV But you must " resist him,
steadfast in the faith1." It is impossible for you to be too
much on your guard against his temptations. As he be
guiled Eve through his subtilty, so will he, if possible, turn
you from the simplicity that is in Christ"1." He will, both
by his emissaries and by his suggestions, pervert the Scriptures
themselves, just as he did when he tempted Christ: but yov
must " take the sword of the Spirit, and the shield of faith,'
and, " in the strength of Christ, resist him " to the uttermost"
that you " may never be moved away from the hope of the
h Gal. ii. 11—16. * Gal. i. 8, 9. k 2 Cor. iv. 4.
1 1 Pet. v. 8, 9. m 2 Cor. xi. 3. n Eph. vi. 10—17.
2077.] LIBERTY OF THE CHRISTIAN. 195
Gospel0," or be induced to " make shipwreck of your faith in
Christ V]
3. Against the treachery of your own hearts —
[There is no evil whatever more deeply rooted in the
heart of man than self-righteousness. It will assume in you
ten thousand shapes. Sometimes it will put on the garb of
holiness ; and make you fearful of exalting Christ too much,
lest you should depreciate and discourage morality. Some
times it will assume the form of humility; and make you
stand aloof from Christ because of your own unworthiness :
' You are not good enough to come to him : he will never
receive so vile a sinner as you.' There is no end to the delu
sions which your own deceitful hearts will suggest, to sanction,
in some degree or other, a dependence on your own works.
But you must put away every thought that may interfere with
the honour of Christ, to whom the glory of your salvation must
be given, whole and entire, from first to last. It is altogether
the purchase of his blood, and the gift of God for his sake :
and it must be received, by every creature under heaven,
" without money, and without price." St. Paul tells you, that
if you do the best act in the world with a view to augment
your interest in Him, "he shall profit you nothingq." The
least attempt of this kind will invalidate the whole Gospel r:
and therefore look well to yourselves, that ye " receive not the
grace of God in vain."]
ADDRESS —
1. Those who are yet cleaving to the covenant of
works—
[What works will ye ever do, that shall be effectual for
your salvation ? or what single act have ye ever done, that
will bear the test of God's law? O, think of your folly
and your wickedness! your folly, in preferring bondage to
liberty ; and your wickedness, in so requiting the grace of
Christ ]
2. Those who are enjoying the liberty wherewith
Christ hath made them free—
[Enjoy it, and be thankful for it — - but " turn it
not to licentiousness." Shew, by your lives, that the Gospel
is " a doctrine according to godliness :" and let the world see
that, whilst you " contend earnestly for the faith delivered to
the saints," you are " careful to maintain good works."]
0 Col. i. 23. i> 1 Tim. i. 19. 1 ver. 2. ' ver. 3, 4.
196 GALATIANS, V. 2—4. [2078.
MMLXXVIIT.
SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS REPROVED.
Gal. v. 2 — 4. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be cir
cumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again
to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do
the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you,
whosoever of you are justified by the law : ye are fallen
from grace.
ON matters of morality, men will permit us to
speak with the utmost freedom ; but, on points of
faith, they would have us use none but the mildest
possible expressions, lest we should appear dogma
tical and severe. St. Paul, where moral offences
had been committed, was lenity itself a; but when
the fundamentals of our faith were endangered, his
energy rose even to intolerance. I mean not to say
that he disregarded morality, or that we should think
lightly of it : but I mean, that we ought to entertain
far different thoughts about the leading doctrines of
religion, than those which generally prevail. Hear
the Apostle, when he found that some of the Galatian
Church had been drawn from the pure Gospel to
a reliance on the observances of the Jewish ritual :
" Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any
other Gospel unto you than that which we have
preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said
before, so say I now again, If any man preach any
other Gospel unto you than that ye have received,
let him be accursedV I grant, that he, as inspired,
was authorized to speak in terms that would be un
seemly for one who is not under an infallible guidance :
but, so far as our doctrines accord with those of the
Apostle, we may, yes, and must, maintain them, with
a measure of the firmness which he uses in .the pro
mulgation of them. The passage which we have
selected for our meditation this day contains nothing
but what must be affirmed by every servant of Christ.
But who that reads it must not tremble, lest he be
a 2 Cor. ii. 7. Gal. vi. 1. b Gal. i. 8, 9.
2078.] SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS REPROVED. 197
found in the predicament there referred to ? That we
may fully understand the mind of the Apostle, I will,
with all possible plainness, state,
I. What was the conduct here reproved—
It was not the mere practice of circumcision—
[This was a rite which had been ordained by God him
self; and the neglect of which had so incensed God against his
servant Moses, that, if his wife Zipporah had not instantly,
and without delay, performed the rite with her own hands,
that favourite of heaven would have been destroyed0. And
though the ceremonial law was now abolished, the observance
of this rite was innocent : for St. Paul himself, in condescen
sion to the prejudices of the Jews, had circumcised Timothy ;
and in this very place, where he so decidedly condemns the
observers of it, speaks of it as a matter of perfect indifference :
" In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor
uncircumcision ; but faith, which worketh by loved." It is
clear, therefore, that it was not of circumcision, as an act,
that he spake, when he declared it to be incompatible with an
interest in Christ.]
It was self-righteousness to which the advocates
of circumcision were strongly inclined —
[Circumcision, when first appointed of God, was given to
Abraham as " a sign and seal of that righteousness which he
possessed in his uncircumcised state," and which he had
obtained solely by faith6. But the Jews had altogether per
verted it from its original intention, and had made it a funda
mental article of the Mosaic ritual : they regarded it as
connected with the Laiv, rather than with the Gospel; and
founded their hopes of salvation, in a considerable measure, on
their observance of it. This it was which St. Paul so severely
reprobated ; because it undermined the Gospel itself, and led
the people to look to the law for righteousness, which the
Gospel alone could impart. Nor was it without just reason
that he so strongly guarded them against this error: for it
obtained very generally amongst the Jews ; and was the great
stumbling-block over which they fell, to the utter destruction
of their souls f.]
That we may see how circumcision could by any
means be so injurious to their souls, I will proceed
to shew,
c Exod. iv. 24, 25. d ver. 6. and again, Gal. vi. 15.
e Rom. iv. 11. f Rom. ix. 30 — 33. and x. 2, 3.
198 GALATIANS, V. 2-4. [2078.
II. Wherein the evil of it consisted —
1. It was a recurrence to the law —
[So the Apostle interprets it : " As many of you as are
justified by the law." This shews, that the Apostle viewed
the act as performed -in order to their justification before
God : and such was really their end in performing it. There
were many who insisted upon it as still obligatory upon all :
and maintained, that " except men were circumcised, they
could not be saved g." And it was St. Paul's firm oppo
sition to this tenet that so greatly incensed the Jews against
him. If he would have yielded to them in this one particular,
they would have laid aside their hostility against him, and
have left him at liberty to make as many converts as he could.
But " he would not give place, no, not for an hour ; that the
truth of the Gospel might be kept inviolate." And to those
who wished to represent him as still favouring their sentiments,
he appealed : " If I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet
suffer persecution ? Then is the offence of the cross ceased V
Viewing, then, this rite as a recurrence to the law for salvation,
he declared to every person who submitted to it, that he " be
came a debtor to do the whole law :" for if the law was obligatory
in one part, it was in all : and, if they looked for salvation by
obedience to any law whatever, whether ceremonial or moral,
they must go back to the covenant of works altogether, and
stand or fall by that. But this would be to involve themselves
in inevitable and eternal ruin ; since " it was written, Cursed
is every one that continueth not in all things that are written
in the book of the law, to do them :" and, consequently, in
going back to the law, they must bring down all its curses upon
their souls. This, then, was one reason why it was wrong to
practise circumcision in the way they did.]
2. It was a renunciation of the Gospel—
[All who had been baptized into the faith of Christ had
professed to accept salvation as the free gift of God for Christ's
sake. But, in going back to circumcision, and insisting upon
that as necessary to salvation, they did, in fact, declare that
they considered the work of Christ as incomplete, and as insuf
ficient for their salvation, without this work of the law super-
added to it. All therefore who had imbibed this error were
" fallen from the grace" of the Gospel altogether. They
thought, indeed, to combine the law with the Gospel ; but this
was impossible. Salvation must be wholly of the one or the
other : works and grace, as foundations of hope before God,
were absolutely contrary to, and inconsistent with, each other :
s Acts xv. 1 . h ver. 1 1 .
2078.] SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS REPROVED. 199
as the Apostle says, " If salvation be by grace, it is no more of
works ; otherwise grace is no more grace : but if it be of works,
then is it no more grace; otherwise work is no more work1."
Would they, then, be content to forego all hope by the Gospel,
and to abandon as worthless all the promises of grace ? This
was, in fact, their conduct, whilst they thus placed their
reliance on this abrogated rite : and the folly of such conduct
once seen, must deter them, for ever, from the prosecution
of it.]
But we are yet further taught by the Apostle,
III. What was, and must in all cases be, the issue
of it-
" Christ would become of no effect to them," and
" would profit them nothing." Never, to all eternity,
would they derive any benefit from him,
1. As their atoning Sacrifice—
[He died indeed for sinners, and offered himself a sacrifice
for the sins of the whole world : but, in renouncing him, and
going back to the law, they cut themselves off from all parti
cipation of the benefit : so that, as far as they are concerned,
" he died altogether in vaink."]
2. As their great High-priest —
[For his people he is gone within the vail, there to make
continual intercession for them : and through his intercession
their peace is maintained with God. But never does he make
mention of their name ; never prefer one request in their be
half. If he were once to bring their case before his Father, it
would be rather to " make intercession against them ;" and to
say, ' How long dost thou, O my Father, forbear to execute
vengeance on those ungrateful creatures?' " How long dost
thou not judge, and avenge my blood upon them1?"]
3. As their Federal Head and Representative—
[To those who are united to Christ by faith, he is, under
the new covenant, what Adam was to his posterity, under the
old covenant. " In Adam, all" his natural posterity "died:"
and " in Christ all" his spiritual children "are made alivem."
But those who return to the law, renounce the covenant of
grace, and go back to the covenant made with Adam in Para
dise ; according to the tenour of which they shall be justified or
condemned, Having no other representative than Adam, " in
whom they have sinned," they have no one through whom
1 Rom. xi. 6. k Gal. ii. 21. 1 Rev. vi. 10.
111 1 Cor. xv. 22.
200 GALATIANS, V. 2—4. [2078.
they can obtain any better title than what they have derived
from him, or any other portion than what is entailed upon
them as his descendants.]
4. As their Head of vital influence —
[Believers in Christ derive from Him all that they need
for life and godliness, as branches of the living vine. But
those who, in any measure or degree, transfer to the law their
dependence, become as branches that are broken off, and that
derive from Him no benefit whatever. To their impotence
they are left ; and as destitute of all spiritual good, they perish.
What a fearful thought is this ! But let me dwell some
what upon it, in a way of more direct]
APPLICATION. — See, I pray you,
1. How indispensable to our happiness is an in
terest in Christ —
[The Apostle represents the being without any profit
from Christ, as the sum of human misery. And so, indeed, it
is : for what can he possess who has no part in Christ? He
may have wealth and honour in the richest abundance ; but he
has no life, no hope in this world, no portion but misery in the
world to come — Can you reflect on this, my brethren,
and not desire an interest in Christ? My brethren, seek him,
lay hold on him, " cleave unto him with full purpose of heart ;"
and let no consideration under heaven induce you for a moment
to draw back from him ]
2. What need we have to examine the state of our
minds towards him—
[The persons who laid so great a stress on circumcision
little thought what evils they were bringing on their own
souls : and it is highly probable that they thought the affir
mations of the Apostle needlessly severe. But this very cir
cumstance rendered it the more necessary that he should deal
faithfully with them, and declare to them the danger to which
they were exposed. And so it is, when we declare the danger
of self-righteousness, we are thought harsh and uncharitable.
But we must declare, and " testify to every one" who relies
on the works of the law, or blends any thing whatever with
the merits of Christ, that he makes void the whole work of
Christ, and cuts himself off from any part in his salvation.
Examine yourselves, therefore : for self-righteousness is deeply
rooted in the heart of man ; and it has many specious pretexts
for its actings. But be on your guard against it, and watch
against it in every form ; and determine, through grace, that
you will henceforth trust in nothing, and " glory in nothing,
but the cross of Christ."]
2079.] THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF FAITH. 201
MMLXXIX.
THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF FAITH.
Gal. v. 5. We, through the Spirit, iv ait for the hope of right
eousness by faith.
THE object of St. Paul, in this epistle is, to main
tain and establish the doctrine of justification by faith
alone, without the deeds of the law. This doctrine
had been assailed and controverted by Judaizing
teachers, who had gained such influence in the Church,
as to draw multitudes after them, and to intimidate
even the Apostles themselves. We are told that
Peter, through fear of the circumcision, dissembled,
and drew Barnabas also, his friend and fellow-labourer,
into a participation of his crime. St. Paul, with
becoming zeal, set himself to stem the tide. He felt
for the honour of God, whose Gospel was thus per
verted ; and for the welfare of immortal souls, whose
salvation was endangered ; and, without partiality,
he rebuked Peter in the face of the whole Church ;
shewing that all mixture of the Law with the Gospel
was a fatal error ; and that all who would be saved
must seek salvation wholly and exclusively by faith
in Christ.
Having concluded his argument, he enforces the
truth he had established ; and declares, that all who
were under the influence of the Spirit of God would
wait for the hope of righteousness, not by works, but
by faith alone.
The words before us will lead me to shew,
I. To what every true Christian looks for justification
before God —
The context makes known to us the Apostle's
views —
[The energy of the Apostle on this subject is such as
must, on no account, be overlooked. He declares, in oppo
sition to the Judaizing teachers, that the blending of the Law
with the Gospel, in any respect, would make void all that
Christ has done and suffered for us ; that it would bring us
back altogether to the covenant of works, which promised
202 GALATIANS, V. 5. [2079.
nothing but to perfect obedience; and that it was, in fact, an
utter renunciation of the Gospel, and a contempt of all the
grace contained in it. " Behold, I Paul say unto you, that
if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I
testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a
debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect
unto you : whosoever of you are justified by the law, ye are
fallen from grace." Now, of all works that could be per
formed, circumcision was the most innocent : for it had been
expressly commanded of God, from the first moment that
Abraham had been admitted into covenant with him : it was
enjoined under the penalty of death: Moses himself was in
imminent danger of being slain by God for the neglect of it :
and, though abrogated by the Gospel, St. Paul had sanctioned
the observance of it in the case of Timothy. ' Yet,' says
St. Paul, ' the observance of this rite, with a view to increase
or confirm your interest in the Gospel, will invalidate the
Gospel altogether, and plunge your souls into inevitable
perdition.'
Having solemnly asserted and testified of these things, he
goes on to declare what he himself, and all true Christians,
looked to for their justification before God: " ' We" we
Apostles, we who are truly under the influence of the
Spirit, " wait for the hope of righteousness by faith." We
renounce every other hope whatever : we blend nothing with
the merits of Christ : we look for acceptance through His
righteousness alone : and we expect to obtain an interest in it,
and to be made partakers of it, simply and solely by faith
in Him.']
In accordance with these are the views of every
true Christian —
[Every one who is but a babe in Christ knows that he
neither has, nor can have, any righteousness of his own.
Having transgressed the law, he feels that he is obnoxious
to its curse denounced against him ; and that he must obtain
some better righteousness than his own, if ever he would find
acceptance with God. He looks into the Scriptures, and
learns, that the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, the co-equal,
co-eternal Son of God, has left his throne of glory, and as
sumed our nature; and in that nature has suffered the penalty
which we had merited, and obeyed the law which we had
broken ; and has thereby " brought in an everlasting right
eousness" for all who believe in him. Convinced of this, he
casts himself entirely on the Lord ; calling him " The Lord
our Righteousness ;" and saying, " In the Lord have I right
eousness and strength." Thus, renouncing all hopes by the
works of the law, he " waits for the hope of righteousness by
2079.] THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF FAITH. 203
faith" alone. He considers that righteousness as wrought out
on purpose for him: he regards it as promised to him the
very instant he believes in Christ: he looks to him by faith,
in order to obtain an interest in it; and he "waits for" it
God's appointed time : he waits for it here, even for the mani
festation of it to his soul ; and he waits for it hereafter, as the
ground of his acquittal at the bar of judgment, and as the
ground of his elevation to the throne of glory. At no period
does he hope for any thing on the ground of his own merits :
and though he knows that his works shall be rewarded, he
looks for that recompence, not as a reward of debt, but of
grace : and to God alone does he give all the glory of his sal
vation, from first to last.]
As the Apostle ascribes his experience in this re
spect to the agency of the Holy Spirit, it will be
proper for me to shew,
II. How far the Holy Spirit operates to the produc
tion of these views —
" In God we live, and move, and have our being."
But, in the economy of redemption, there is a special
office assigned to the Third Person of the ever-blessed
Trinity, even that of applying all its benefits to the
souls of men, and rendering it effectual for their sal
vation. It was " through the Spirit" that the Apostle
waited for the hope of righteousness by faith :
1. Through his teaching in the word —
[All the prophets, from the beginning, have spoken by
inspiration of God, even as they were moved by the Holy
Ghost a. Now, from the beginning has the Holy Spirit de
clared, that our hope of righteousness is solely by faith in
Christ. To Adam, as soon as he had fallen, was it made
known, that " the Seed of the woman, the Lord Jesus Christ,
should bruise the serpent's head," and repair the evil which
that wicked fiend had introduced. Abel, we are told, " by
faith offered" an acceptable sacrifice unto his God. Now this
presupposes a revelation from God in relation to that sacri
fice : for there can be no scope for the exercise of faith, where
nothing has been revealed. Here, then, it is clear, that God
had made known to Abel, that a sinner should be saved
through the intervention of a sacrifice, even of that Great
Sacrifice which should in due time be offered upon the cross,
the Lord Jesus Christ ; who is therefore called, " The Lamb
a 2 Tim. iii. 10. 1 Pet. i. 10, 11. and 2 Pet. i. 21.
204 GALATIANS, V. 5. [2079.
slain from the foundation of the world." Through all suc
cessive ages was this represented by a variety of types, and
proclaimed in a variety of prophecies ; to particularize which
will be unnecessary, because St. Paul expressly affirms all that
we have asserted : — " Now," says he, " the righteousness of
God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law
and the prophets ; even the righteousness of God, which is by
faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe V
Here, I say, we are not only directed to the Lord Jesus
Christ as the only Author of salvation, but we are told that
his righteousness is the ground of our hope ; that we must
obtain an interest in it by faith; and that to this way of
salvation both the law and the prophets have borne witness
from the beginning. It is clear, therefore, that if we ever
attain to it at all, it must be " through the Spirit's" teaching
in the word.]
2. Through his influence upon the soul—
[To this way of salvation man is extremely averse. He
wants to have something of his own whereon to trust, and
something which shall serve him as a ground of glorying
before God. No human power can divert him from this :
no arguments can convince him; no persuasion can move
him ; not all the promises or threatenings of the Scriptures
can induce him to renounce all self-confidence, and rely on
Christ alone, " God himself must make him willing in the
day of his power." And this work the Holy Spirit effects.
" He convinces the man, of sin, of righteousness, and of
judgment0:" of sin, so as to make him feel himself lost and
utterly undone ; of righteousness, so as to shew him that in
Christ there is a sufficiency for the very chief of sinners ; and
of judgment, so as to assure him, that, by faith in this Saviour,
Satan himself shall be vanquished, and bruised under his feet.
But, as man, whilst ignorant of his own sinfulness, disdains
to accept of mercy in God's appointed way ; so, when his eyes
are opened to see how unworthy he is, he is ready to think
that God never can shew mercy to one so vile as he. Here,
therefore, the Holy Spirit's operations are again called for:
and here he exerts himself effectually for the production of
the desired end. Having first inclined the person, and made
him willing to submit to God's method of justifying a sinner,
he next encourages and enables him to repose his confidence
in God, and to accept the proffered mercy. This the Holy
Spirit does, by revealing Christ unto his soul, in all the ful
ness of his sufficiency, and in all the freeness of his grace.
He glorifies Christ : he takes of the things that are Christ's,
b Rom.iii. 21, 22. c John xvi. 8.
2079.] THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF FAITH. 205
and shews them unto the trembling sould; and thus over
comes his reluctance on the one hand, and his diffidence on
the other. In this way the person is brought to see, that
" righteousness is by faith" only; and to " hope" for that
righteousness, yea, and to " wait for" it, till it shall please
God to make known to him his interest in it, and to speak
peace unto his soul.]
ADDRESS—
1. Those whose views of this subject are indis
tinct —
[All have " a hope of righteousness," which, in some way
or other, shall prove sufficient for their acceptance, when they
go hence. But, if we come to examine the grounds of their
hope, we find that few, very few, have their views clear,
decided, scriptural. To renounce all dependence on our own
works, to have no leaning whatever to any righteousness of
our own, is a very rare attainment. If we were told, that the
smallest measure of self-righteousness would make " Christ
himself of no effect to us," and leave us in the very state of
the fallen angels, who have no Saviour, we should account it
harsh. We are willing that the Lord Jesus Christ should
have the principal share of the glory arising from our salva
tion, but not all. Beloved brethren, I pray you, examine into
this matter : see whether you can be content to be saved
precisely as one of the fallen angels would be, if he were now
plucked as a brand out of the burning. You must be brought
to this. Why was it that so many millions of moral and
religious Jews have perished, whilst millions of immoral and
idolatrous Gentiles have been saved? It has arisen from this :
the Jews could not be brought to renounce all dependence on
the law ; whilst the Gentiles have thankfully accepted the
righteousness provided for them in the Gospel. " The Jews
have stumbled," as thousands of Christians also do, " at that
stumbling-stone :" for, on this account, Christ has proved to
them no other than " a rock of offence ;" whilst to those who
have believed in him he has invariably proved a rock of salva
tion e. And this is the peculiar danger of those who are most
moral, and most religiously inclined. It was the Jews, who
" had a great zeal for God," who fell into this unhappy snare,
and would not submit to the righteousness provided for them
in the Gospel f. I pray God, that you, my brethren, may not
reject the overtures that are now made to you. I believe that
there are many of you who have a zeal of God: but I fear
that, in many cases, it is not a zeal " according to knowledge."
d John xvi. 14. e Rom. ix. 30 — 33. f Rom. x. 2 — 4.
206 GALATIANS, V. 5. [2079.
You do not clearly see that " Christ is the end of the law for
righteousness ;" and that he is so to those only who " believe6."
I beseech you, leave not this matter unexamined, and unde
cided, in your minds : but beg of God to reveal his Son in
you ; and that you may never be suffered to rest, till you can
say, with the Apostle, " I desire to be found in Christ, not
having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that
which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which
is of God by faith V]
2. Those who, whilst they have these views, are
afraid fully to rely upon them—
[A free and full salvation, even to the chief of sinners,
and simply by faith in Christ, seems to be so rich a blessing,
that it would be presumptuous in any human being to enter
tain a hope of it : and, from this feeling, many are led to put
it away from them, as too great ever to be obtained. But,
my brethren, if God has revealed it, and absolutely appointed
it as the one only way in which he will receive sinners to
himself, who are we that we should refuse it ? This is a false
humility. If we could see ourselves possessed of some worthi
ness, then we should be content to receive salvation at God's
hands : but, because we see our utter unworthiness, we put
it from us. But this is greatly to dishonour God, and griev
ously to insult the Lord Jesus Christ ; yea, and to do despite
also to the Holy Spirit, who has revealed this salvation to us.
Be content to receive all freely from God, as you receive the
light of the sun, and the very air you breathe. Remember,
that the more unworthy you feel yourselves to be, the more
will his grace be exalted and magnified. There is a righteous
ness already wrought out for you, and ready to be imparted
to you. It is appointed to be received simply and solely by
faith. It is " the hope laid up for you in heaven :" and you
are to " wait for " it, in the exercise of earnest and continual
prayer. O ! beg of the Holy Spirit to reveal it fully to
your souls, and to overcome all your doubts and all your
fears ; and so to work faith in your hearts, that you may be
filled with peace and joy in this world, and attain, in a better
world, " the end of your faith, even the salvation of your
souls."]
s Rom. x. 2—4. h Phil. iii. 9.
2080.] THE OFFICE AND OPERATION OF FAITH. 20"<
MMLXXX.
THE OFFICE AND OPERATION OF FAITH.
Gal. v. 6. In Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any
thing, nor uncircumcision ; but faith which worketh by love.
THE peculiar character of the Gospel is, that it
shews how a sinner may be justified before God ; yet
the generality of Christians are far from entertaining
just views of this most fundamental point : they con
found the different offices of faith and works. But
St. Paul distinguishes them with much accuracy and
precision ; he invariably declares that our justification
is by faith ; yet, though he denies to works the office
of justifying, he invariably insists on them as the
fruits and evidences of our faith. Nothing can be
more decisive than the declaration before us.
We shall,
I. Explain it —
Man is prone to trust in outward rites and cere
monies —
[The Jews confided in the ordinance of circumcision : the
Judaizing teachers also among the Christians inculcated the
observance of that rite as a ground of hope : amongst ourselves
also, many think it sufficient that they have been baptized, or
expect to find admission into heaven because they have attended
regularly at the Lord's table.]
But no outward observances can avail for our sal
vation—
[An external conformity with the rule of duty may pro
ceed from the basest principles : it may spring from a desire to
obtain man's applause, or to establish a righteousness of our
own ; and it may consist with the indulgence of evil tempers
and vicious appetites. It cannot therefore of itself charac
terize the true Christian, nor can it "avail any thing" towards
procuring the Divine favour. If indeed it proceed from faith
and love, it will be rewarded ; but if it be made the ground of
our hope, it will prevent, rather than procure, our acceptance
with Goda.]
a Gal. v. 2.
208 GALATIANS, V. 6. [2080.
That which alone can avail for our acceptance with
God; is " faith "-
[All the promises of God are made to faith b. It is by
faith that all the saints of old obtained salvation0. St. Paul
and St. James do not really differ respecting thisd, nor do any
passages of Scripture really contradict ite. If salvation be of
grace, it must be by faith*. ~\
Yet this faith must be productive of good works —
[It is not a mere notional assent to certain doctrines, nor
is it a confident assurance respecting the safety of our own state ;
but it is a living operative principle in the heart : it is, on our
part, the bond of union between Christ and our souls, and it
cannot but discover itself by " works of love." If it produce
not holy tempers, and an unfeigned regard for the bodies and
souls of men, it is no better than the faith of devils g.]
The declaration in the text being explained, we
shall,
II. Improve it —
Every part of Scripture, rightly understood, is
profitable for the directing both of our faith and
practice11 —
We will IMPROVE this before us,
1. " For doctrine," that is, for the establishing of
true doctrine —
[The way of salvation is simply by faith in Christ: and
every kind of work, ceremonial or moral1, must be considered
b Mark xvi. 16. Acts x. 43. c Rom. iv. 3, 6, 7.
d St. Paul (Rom. iv. 1 — 5.) speaks of Abraham as being justified
before God: St. James (ii. 21 — 23.) speaks of Abraham as manifest
ing his faith before man, and as justifying his pretensions to the
Divine favour by a suitable conduct and conversation.
e There are many expressions both in the Old and New Testament
which seem to assert salvation by works : but they are only declara
tive of the character of those that shall be finally saved, or of God's
gracious determination to reward those works which flow from faith.
If they were interpreted in any other way, they would invalidate the
whole Gospel.
f Rom. iv. 16. g Jam. ii. 19. h 2 Tim. iii. 16. See the Greek.
1 The Apostle does not deny that circumcision is of any avail
merely because it is a ceremonial work, but because it is a work ;
and because dependence on it would rob Christ of his glory. His
argument therefore excludes works of whatever kind they be. Com
pare Gal. ii. 16.
2080. j THE OFFICE AND OPERATION OF FAITH. 209
as of no avail with respect to justification before God. How
ever necessary, however valuable, our obedience may be if per
formed aright, it ceases to be valuable the moment we depend
upon it. This is clearly stated in the text and context k; and
St. Paul himself was practically persuaded of this doctrine1.
Let us then renounce all confidence in our own works, and
rely wholly on the blood and righteousness of Christ.]
2. " For reproof/' that is, for the refuting of false
doctrines—
[Some have argued from the text, that faith saves us as
an operative principle. Thus they affirm that we are justified
by something within ourselves. But faith, as a principle, is
not of more value than love111; and it' we were justified by it
as an operative principle, we should have room to boast, just
as much as we should if we were justified by love or any other
Erinciple. The reason of our being justified by faith is, that
tith unites us unto Christ, which is a property not common to
any other grace. Our works do not make our faith to be good
or saving, but only prove it to be son. If our faith be genuine,
we shall discover it to God by a simple dependence upon
Christ, and to man by the practice of good works.]
3. " For correction" of unrighteous conduct —
[It must be confessed that many profess faith in Christ
while their lives are unworthy of the Gospel : but such per
sons stand condemned even by their own profession. No faith
is of any avail, but such as " works by love." Let professors
then weigh themselves in the balance of the sanctuary ; let
them examine their tempers, dispositions, and actions ; let
them acknowledge that a proud, envious, passionate, unforgiv
ing, covetous, or selfish Christian, is as much a contradiction
in terms, as an adulterous or murderous Christian ; let them
put away either their profession or their sins.]
4. " For instruction in righteousness "-
[To point out all the offices of love would be tedious.
Let us contemplate it as set forth by the Apostle in 1 Cor. xiii. ;
— and, not content with any measure that we have
attained, let us abound in it more and more0.]
k Gal. v. 2— C. ] Phil. iii. 9. «» 1 Cor. xiii. 13.
11 Just as fruit does not make a tree good, but only manifests it to
be so.
0 If this were the subject of a Charily Sermon, it would be proper
to open here the nature, excellence, and importance of the particular
institution which was to be benefited ; and then to exhort the bene
volent in general, and believers in particular, to give it their liberal
support.
VOL. XVII. P
210 GALATIANS, V. 11. [2081.
MMLXXXI.
OFFENCE OF THE CROSS.
Gal. v. 11. Then is the offence of the cross ceased.
THE Gospel, in the first ages, was an object of
hatred and persecution both amongst Jews and Gen
tiles : to the Jews it was a stumbling-block,, and to
the Greeks foolishness a :" and it was the one con
stant labour of them both to corrupt it ; the one by
their traditions ; the other by that which was falsely
called philosophy. Hence, whilst those opposite
parties felt the utmost contempt for each other, they
united their efforts against Christianity ; as Herod
and Pontius Pilate had done for the destruction of its
Founder.
In the passage before us, St. Paul is guarding
his converts against the attempts of the Judaizing
teachers ; who sought to bring back their brethren to
a dependence on the law, and who laboured even to
subject the Gentile converts also to an observance of
the Mosaic ritual. Circumcision, in particular, was
that which these teachers insisted on as ordained of
God and as of perpetual obligation. St. Paul tells
the Galatians, that the whole of the Mosaic ritual
was abrogated ; and that they must never suffer any
one to bring them into subjection to itb. If he would
have consented that the Jews should blend the Law
with the Gospel, they would have been well pleased
with him and with his doctrines too : " If," says he,
" I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer per
secution ? for then is the offence of the cross ceased."
From these words I will endeavour to shew,
I. Whence it is that the doctrine of the cross gives
offence—
The doctrine of the cross is simply that declaration,
that Christ died upon the cross for our redemption,
and that through his obedience unto death we must
obtain favour with God
Now this doctrine uniformly gives offence to those
a 1 Cor. i. 23, b ver. 1.
2081. J OFFENCE OF THE CROSS. 211
who hear it, whether they be Jews or Gentiles. For
it is,
1. An humiliating doctrine—
[It brings down all men upon a level ; so far, at least, that
they must renounce all dependence on themselves, and seek
for salvation solely through the righteousness of another. It
leaves no room for any man to boast, or to glory in any thing
that he possesses. The best, as well as the worst, must owe
their salvation simply and entirely to Christ, from first to
last ]
2. An unaccommodating doctrine-
fit will not bend to men's prejudices or passions : nor
must its advocates " give way to any one, no, not for an hour."
Moral works, as well as ceremonial, must be excluded utterly
from the office of justifying the soul; and the whole glory
must be given to Christ alone ]
3. A peremptory doctrine —
[It appeals not to our reason, but demands assent to its
dictates. It requires the most perfect submission to all that
it inculcates ; and threatens with eternal damnation every one
who withholds his assent from its truths, or his obedience to
its commands. Its plain declaration is, " He that believeth,
and is baptized, shall be saved ; and he that believeth not shall
be damned."
On these grounds, I say, it is hated. It is esteemed licen
tious, bigoted, severe : licentious, as denying any merit to
works, and therefore cutting off all motives for the perform
ance of them ; bigoted, as admitting of no relaxation, but
binding all persons to receive it simply as it is ; and severe, as
denouncing such heavy judgments on all who cannot bring
their minds to embrace it.]
The Apostle clearly supposes that this character is
essential to the Gospel ; and that it will, to the
remotest ages, give the same offence. We inquire
therefore,
II. Why it can never cease to do so —
Two reasons may be assigned ;
1. The Gospel must ever remain the same —
[No alteration has ever taken place in it, or ever can take
place. It is a revelation of the way which God has devised
for the salvation of fallen man. He gave up his only-begotten
Son to die for us, and by his own blood to make an atonement
#12 GALATIANS, V. 11. [2081.
for our sins. The Lord Jesus Christ has executed this great
work, and become obedient unto death, even the death of the
cross. " That cross we preach," as the one only means of
reconciling man to God : and all the servants of God have but
this one testimony to bear; namely, that " God was in Christ,
reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their tres
passes unto themc." We have nothing to announce about the
merits of man : we are not authorized to make any distinction
between one man and another : we are to bear the same tes
timony to all, whether Jews or Greeks, bond or free : and
without hesitation must we declare to all, that " no other
foundation of hope for sinful man can ever be laid, than that
which God has laid, which is Jesus Christ d;" and that " there
is no other name given under heaven whereby any man can
be saved6."
Now, if this could admit of any change, or any modification,
we might hope to please men : but we are shut up to this : we
can preach nothing else ; and they must hear nothing else :
and if they will not receive this, there is no alternative left
them : perish they must, and under an accumulated condemna
tion too : for they will be judged, not only as transgressors of
the law, but as despisers of the Gospel also; and, consequently,
will have a far sorer punishment to bear, than if they had
never heard of the salvation provided for them.]
2. Human nature ever remains the same —
[Men are born into the world with all the same propen
sities as they were in the apostolic age. Man has, by nature,
the same pride of heart, that rises against the humiliating
doctrines before specified. Every one wishes to have within
himself some ground of glorying. To be stripped naked, as
it were, without so much as one " rag of righteousness," as
the Scripture expresses it, to cover himf, is more than he can
endure. To be nothing, that Christ may be all, is a hard
lesson.
Again : the heart of man is as worldly as ever : it affects
not the things that are above, but the things only of time
and sense. But the same Gospel which requires such self-
renunciation in its principles, requires no less self-denial in its
practice. We must " live not in any degree to ourselves," but
wholly and unchangeably " unto Him who died for us, and rose
again." To this our carnal hearts will not submit : and until
the heart be changed by grace, it will ever quarrel with these
appointments, as unreasonably precise. In no point of view
whatever is the Gospel palatable to the carnal mind : let a
c 2 Cor. v. 18 — 20. d 1 Cor. iii. 11.
e Actsiv. 12. f Isai. Ixiv. 6.
2081.] OFFENCE OF THE CROSS. 213
new heart be given to a man, and all will be well: but, whilst
the heart of man continues what it is, " the offence of the cross
can never cease."]
ADDRESS —
1. Let none reject the Gospel on account of the
offence attaching to it—
[Many conceive the doctrine of the cross must be erro
neous, because it is everywhere spoken against. But, if this
is any argument against the doctrine now, it was so equally in
the apostolic age ; for the enmity of mankind against it was
most inveterate and universal. I will certainly grant, that the
existence of enmity against any doctrine will not of itself prove
that doctrine to be true ; for then the most pernicious tenets
of the wildest enthusiasts would have a claim to our belief.
But this is certain, that any Gospel which gives no offence, must
be false. There are multitudes who hear what they call the
Gospel, and are extremely well pleased with it : the worldly
approve it: the self-righteous approve it: even the most pro
fligate find no fault with it. Can that, I ask, be the Gospel
which Paul preached ? It is impossible. I know, indeed, that
there is a way of preaching even truth itself without offence :
but the truth, the whole truth delivered with authority as the
truth of God MUST give offence. Men have no alternative left
them, but to be offended with the preacher, or with themselves.
And the very offence which they take is so far from being an
argument against the doctrines they have heard, that it is a
presumptive argument in their favour. If, then, you hear the
doctrine of the cross firmly stated, and find that it gives offence,
take it and compare it with the doctrine which St. Paul deli
vered : and, if you find that it accords with his, then embrace
it, and hold it fast, and glory in it ; saying, " God forbid that
I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ;
by which the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the
world."]
2. Let none cause others to reject it, by giving any
needless offence —
[Many who have embraced the Gospel are sadly inatten
tive to the feelings and prejudices of those around them.
They will run into many absurdities, without ever considering
what stumbling-blocks they lay in the way of their uncon
verted brethren. Some give great offence by the crude and
partial statements which they make of the Gospel ; and others,
by the harsh, uncharitable, and contemptuous way in which
they speak of those who do not accord with their views. It
is a great misfortune to the world to have such persons
214 GALATIANS, V. 16. [2082.
connected with them ; because they are almost of necessity led
to impute to the Gospel itself the indiscretions and absurdities
of those who profess it. Let these incautious professors con
sider what evil they do, and what guilt they contract : for if
there is a " woe to the world because of offences, there is a
double woe to those by whom the offence cometh." As for
those who cause " the way of truth to be evil spoken of" by
their inconsistent conduct, by their neglect of their own proper
calling ; for instance, by a want of truth in their words, or
integrity in their dealings ; " let them look to it ;" for evil is
before them : and the very Gospel which they so dishonour
will plunge them into tenfold perdition. Let all who profess
the Gospel see to it, " that they give no needless offence in
any thing." Let them rather be far more observant of the
whole of their duty, that they may " give no occasion to the
enemy to speak reproachfully :" and let it be their one con
tinued care to " adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all
things."]
MMLXXXII.
WALKING IN THE SPIRIT, A PRESERVATIVE FROM SIN.
Gal. v. 16. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall
ot fulfil the lust of the fiesh.
noi
IN the Church of God, no less than in the ungodly
world, there have always been found persons ready
to foment divisions, and to kindle animosities between
man and man. It was so in the apostolic age : it is
so at this day : and it must of necessity be so, as long
as tares are left growing amongst the wheat, or per
sons professing godliness suffer themselves to be led
captive by a proud, unmortified, and contentious spirit.
In the Galatian Church, persons of this description
abounded : and to such a height did their conten
tions arise, that the Apostle was constrained to give
them this solemn warning : " If ye bite and devour
one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one
of another a."
Now, how shall this propensity be counteracted ?
The Apostle tells us, " Walk in the Spirit, and ye
a ver. 15.
2082.] WALKING IN THE SPIRIT. 215
shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh." Let us consider
then,
I. The direction here given —
Before we can enter fully into the passage before
us, we must explain the terms which the Apostle uses
to convey his sentiments. The whole context shews
that there are two principles in the regenerate man ;
one which is called flesh, and another which is called
spirit : the one comprehending all which we bring
into the world with us, and which is common to the
natural man; the other importing that better principle
which is infused into the soul by the Spirit of God,
when he quickens us to a new and heavenly life : as
our Lord says, " That which is born of the flesh is
flesh ; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit13."
Sin of every kind is the fruit of the former ; and
holiness of every kind is the offspring of the latter.
Amongst " the works of the flesh," the Apostle
numbers " idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance,
emulation, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies0 :" which
shews, that we are not, when speaking of " the lusts
or desires of the flesh," to confine our views to sins
which are acted in and by the body ; but to take in
all the corruptions of our nature, in mind as well as
body. With this explanation, we shall the more easily
see, that, to " walk in the Spirit," we must walk,
1. In a constant attention to the new principle in
fused into us —
[I cannot give a more just idea of this new principle,
which the Spirit of God imparts to us in our conversion, than
by comparing it with the modern invention of the compass.
Before the invention of the compass, mariners, in a dark
night, were unable with any precision to direct their course.
Whilst they were in sight of land, or had a view of the sun or
stars, they could proceed with some degree of certainty : but,
in the absence of these, they were altogether at a loss. But
it is not so with mariners at this time. By the help of the
compass they can by night steer the ship, as well as in the
day ; having constantly at hand, as it were, a sure directory.
b John iii. 6. c ver. 20.
216 GALATIANS, V. 16. [2082.
Now this is the difference between the natural and the spi
ritual man : the natural man has reason and conscience,
which, to a certain degree, are capable of directing his path.
But numberless occasions arise whereon they fail him utterly.
The spiritual man has, superadded to these, a new and living
principle abiding in him ; a principle infused into him by the
Spirit of God, and in exact accordance with his mind and will :
and by this principle the Spirit himself guides him in all his
way. The spiritual man, therefore, in every doubt or diffi
culty, should consult this divine principle within him ; and see
its bearings, and follow its directions. And as the mariner,
whilst he observes his compass, consults also his chart and
maps; so must we, whilst attending to the motions of this
principle, consult also the directory which God has given us
in the Holy Scriptures : and by means of these observations
we shall be kept from any great aberrations from the way of
truth. This process, however, must be continued throughout
all our way : we must not only live in the Spirit, but must
"walk in the Spirit," every step we taked ]
2. In a humble dependence on that Divine Spirit
who has infused it—
[The new principle within us may suggest what is right ;
but it cannot enable us for the performance of it : for all power
to do the will of God, we must be indebted altogether to the
Spirit of God. Our blessed Lord expressly says, " Without
me ye can do nothing6." There is no surer cause of failure
than self-confidence and self-dependence. Peter, and with
him all the other Disciples, declared that they would follow
their Lord even unto death : but no sooner did the trial come,
than " they all forsook him and fled." And we, too, if we
make resolutions in our own strength, shall learn, by bitter
experience, that " he who trusteth in his own heart, is a
foolf." We must be careful, too, not to make any difference
between matters of greater or lesser difficulty, as though we
were competent for the one any more than the other. We
must, in the whole course of our journey, depend on God
alone : we are never, for a moment, to feel strong in ourselves,
but " strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might s :" and
in every step that we take, we must cry, " Hold thou me up,
and I shall be safe11."]
To this direction the Apostle adds,,
II. Our encouragement to the observance of it —
We have before shewn, that by the " lusts of the
d ver. 2,). c John xv. 5. f Prov. xxviii. 26.
s Eph. vi. 10. h Ps. cxix. 11".
2082. J WALKING IN THE SPIRIT.
flesh" we are to understand all the motions of our
corrupt nature : and from these we shall be pre
served, if we follow the direction given us in our
text. But here we must carefully distinguish between
what is promised, and what is not.
1. It is not promised that we shall not be tempted
bij the lusts of the flesh —
[The carnal principle still remains with us after we are
renewed ; as the Apostle says, " The flesh lusteth against the
Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh ; and these are contrary
the one to the other ; so that ye cannot do the things ye
would1." If, on the one hand, our spiritual principle keeps
us from following the evil bias of our nature ; so, on the other
hand, the remainder of the carnal principle within us keeps us
from following so fully as we could wish the dictates of our
renewed mind. The Apostle Paul himself complained, that
" when he would do good, evil was present with him ;" and
that, notwithstanding he delighted in the law of God after his
inward man, " he had still a law in his members, warring
against the law of his mind, and at times bringing him, in
some degree, into captivity to the law of sin which was in his
members k." And we, too, shall find the same, even to our
dying hour. But,]
2. It is promised that we shall not fulfil them—
[God will "strengthen us by his Spirit in our inward
man1,'' and enable us to " crucify the flesh with the affections
and lustsm." Weak as we are in ourselves, " nothing shall be
impossible to us," if we trust in Him": he will "give us more
grace0," and " strength according to our day?." Whatever
be our temptations, " the grace of Christ shall be sufficient for
usi;" and " we shall be enabled to do all things through
Christ, who strengthens usr."]
From this subject we may clearly LEARN,
1. What is the great work we have to do —
[The one employment which we have daily to attend to,
is, to be putting off the old man, which is corrupt according to
the deceitful lusts ; and to be " putting on the new man,
which after God is created in righteousness and true holi
ness5." We are here as in a great hospital, where the process
1 vcr. 17. k Rom. vii. 21—2,3. J Eph. iii. 16.
m ver. 24. n Matt. xvii. 20. ° Jam. iv. 6.
P Deut. xxxiii. 25. <i 2 Cor. xii. 9. r Phil. iv. 13.
* Kph. iv. 22—21.
218 GALATIANS, V. 1G. [2082.
of healing is going forward, and many are convalescent : but
we need still to apply the same remedies ; and we are none of
us possessed of that measure of health which we hope to attain
previous to our dismission. We follow still the prescriptions
of our physician ; and we hope, in so doing, to obtain, in due
season, a perfect recovery
2. The need we have of constant vigilance and
exertion—
[The old principle, as has been observed, still remains
within us : and, if we be not constantly on our guard, it will
regain its former ascendency over us. A stronger army, if
the sentinels fall asleep, may be surprised and vanquished by
troops that are far inferior : and we too, notwithstanding the
power given us by the indwelling Spirit, shall surely be over
come, if we be not constantly on our watch-tower. We must
be prepared to meet our adversary at his first approach. Our
blessed Lord says, " Watch and pray, that ye enter not into
temptation :" and the sad consequences of sleeping on our
post may be seen in the Disciples, when they failed to observe
this important admonition1. Corruption will often put on
the appearance of virtue, and Satan assume the garb of an
angel of light u: but if we be on our guard, we shall detect
his devices ; and " if we resist him manfully, he will flee
from usx."]
3. The security that is afforded us, if we be only
faithful to ourselves—
[God assures us of success, if only we follow his direc
tions. " If we sow to the flesh, we shall of the flesh reap
corruption : but if we sow to the Spirit, we shall of the Spirit
reap life everlastingy." In two respects shall we be placed on
a totally different footing from that on which we stood before:
we shall not be judged according to the perfect law, which
condemns us for the smallest act of disobedience; for, " if we
walk in the Spirit, we are not under the law2:" on the con
trary, our imperfect obedience shall be eternally rewarded :
for God would deem himself " unrighteous, if he were to
forget" any thing that we do for his sakea. With boldness,
then, I say to every one amongst you, " Be steadfast, im-
moveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, and you
may rest assured that your labour shall not be in vain in the
LordV]
t Matt. xxvi. 41, 45, 56. u 2 Cor. xi. 14. x Jam. iv. 7.
y Gal. vi. 7, 8. z vcr. 18. a Heb. vi. 10.
*> 1. Cor. xv. 58.
2083. J PRINCIPLES OF FLESH AND SPIRIT. 219
MMLXXXIII.
THE PRINCIPLES OF FLESH AND SPIRIT CONSIDERED.
Gal. v. 17. The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit
against the flesh : and these are contrary the one to the other:
so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
IT might be naturally imagined, that, from the
moment of our conversion to God, the transformation
of the soul into the Divine image should proceed so
rapidly, as soon to extirpate sin altogether. But
God has not seen fit so to carry on his work in his
people's hearts. The Canaanites were not rooted out
of the land at once, but " by little and little a :" and
so it is with our spiritual enemies : they have strong
holds, from which they cannot be expelled, but by
means of a long -protracted warfare. They remain,
to be " thorns in our eyes and in our sides ;" and
ultimately in a more conspicuous manner to subserve
the glory of God in their final extirpation. The best
of men have yet within them two contrary and con
tending principles ; the one being used by Satan as
an instrument for the defeating of God's gracious
purposes towards them ; the other being employed by
God for the furthering and securing of their eternal
welfare. To what an extent the conflict between
the two is sometimes carried, may be seen in the
Galatian converts, many of whom betrayed by their
contentious dispositions how great an ascendant the
evil principle yet retained over them, notwithstanding
all the professions of piety which they made, and the
distinguished advantages they enjoyed. The Apostle
did not mean to extenuate, and much less to excuse,
the sinfulness of their instable and contentious
conduct ; but he exhorts them to walk more entirely
under the influence of the Holy Spirit, as the only
means of securing them against the evil propensities
which they had manifested, and of carrying on unto
perfection the good work that had been begun in
themb.
a Dent. vii. 22. with Numb, xxiii. 55. b ver. 16.
220 GALATIANS, V. 17. [2083.
In speaking of the two principles mentioned in
our text, we shall notice,
I. Their united existence-
There yet remains in God's people an evil prin
ciple, which is here designated by the name of
" flesh"—
[Man, since the fall of our first parents, is born into the
world a corrupt creature : for " who can bring a clean thing
out of an unclean?" He is depraved in all the members of
his body, and in all the faculties of his soul : there is no part
which is not defiled and debased by sin : the understanding is
become dark ; the will perverse ; the affections sensual ; the
conscience seared ; the memory retentive only of things that
are gratifying to the carnal mind. However this depravity
may be checked by grace, it is not extirpated : it remains like
the infection in the leprous house, and will remain till the
house itself is levelled with the ground.]
But there is also in them a new heaven-born prin
ciple, which is called " spirit" — ;
[This is spoken of by our blessed Lord as contradistin
guished from the other, and in precisely the same terms :
' That which is born of the flesh, is flesh ; and that which is
born of the Spirit, is spirit0." Under the term " flesh," he
includes all that we bring into the world with us, and all that
characterizes us as men : but the " spirit" is that which makes
and designates usneiv men, or " new creatures in Christ Jesus."
Indeed, it is called " the new man," as the other is " the old
man ;" and is " a renewal in the spirit of our mind," after the
" very image of our God, in righteousness and true holiness d."
This new principle is infused into the soul at the time of our
regeneration ; and it is, if I may so speak, the seminal principle
of our conversion. At the instant of its infusion into the soul,
we are " quickened from the dead," and " pass from death
unto life." Previously to the communication of it to us from
above, we are like the dry bones in Ezekiel's vision : we may
have the form of men, but we are not living men : it is not till
we have received that, that " Christ liveth in us ;" but then
" Christ himself becomes our life6." Now this principle co
exists with the former : it does not at once expel the former ;
nor is itself barred out by the former: but it enters into, and
occupies, the whole man, even as the former did ; and, accord
ing to the measure in which it is imparted, it communicates
c John Hi. 6. d Eph. iv. 22—24.
e Gal. ii. 20. andiv. 19. and Col. iii. 4.
2083. J PRINCIPLES OF FLESH AND SPIRIT. 221
light to the understanding, submission to the will, heaven-
liness to the affections, tenderness to the conscience, and to the
memory a tenacious apprehension of all that is good. From
the time of its existence in the soul, it becomes a second self,
a spiritual self as distinguished from the carnal self ; agreeably
to what the Apostle has repeatedly said for the purpose of
distinguishing the more fully the actings of the two contrary
principles : " It is no more I that do this evil, but sin that
dwelleth in mef."]
Both these principles being strong and active in
the soul, we will consider,
II. Their contrary operations—
The flesh is always striving to regain its former
ascendency over us—
[The members of our bodies are but its agents and in
struments : the chief seat of its residence is the soul ; in every
faculty of which it works, to " bring forth fruit unto death."
In the understanding, it suggests proud reasonings against the
revealed will of God, prompting us to dispute the authority of
his precepts, the truth of his promises, the justice of his
threatenings, and the wisdom of that mysterious plan of
redemption which he has devised for the recovery of fallen
man. In the will, it stirs up rebellion against him, and a
determination to follow " its own corrupt and deceitful lusts."
In the affections, it magnifies the things of time and sense, so
as to make them, if not the only, at least the chief, objects of
its pursuit. In the conscience, it produces such blindness
and partiality, as to force from it a sentence of condemnation
or acquittal, not according to truth, but according to its own
predominant habits and inclinations. Nor does the memory
escape its baneful influence, being filled by it with all manner
of corrupt images, which from time to time it presents to the
imagination, as the means of corrupting the heart, and en
slaving the soul.
The better principle, on the other hand, protests against
all the workings of the flesh, and presents to the mind such
considerations as are calculated to awaken the tempted soul
to a sense of its guilt and danger. Especially it reminds the
soul of the obligations it owes to God the Father and to the
Lord Jesus Christ for all the wonders of redeeming love ; and
provokes it to high and heavenly pursuits. What is said of the
Holy Spirit may also be said of this divine principle which is
formed in the soul ; namely, that " when the enemy comes in
'• Rom. vii. 17, 20.
GALATIANS, V. 17. [2083.
like a flood, the Spirit lifts up a standard against him." The
standard of the cross especially is that by which it calls forth
into activity all the powers of the soul, and unites them in the
service of their God. The reflux of a tide may not unfitly
illustrate its operation on the soul. The flesh, like a majestic
river, runs with irresistible impetuosity towards the ocean,
till the tide begins to flow ; and then, from an invisible but
mighty influence, its waves are staid, till by degrees its current
is turned back again towards the source from whence it ema
nated. This in the material world is but the process of a few
hours ; but in the spiritual world it is the work of the whole
life. The dominance of the flesh is exhibited in the progress
of the river to the ocean ; the conflicts and triumphs of the
spirit are depicted in the reversal of its course, and the pro
gress towards the fountain-head.]
In this however the illustration fails, that when the
tide has once overcome the resistance of the river, the
conflict ceases : but it is not so with the Christian's
conflicts : they continue to the end ; and may perhaps
he better compared with a conflagration which is
opposed by engines, where the supply of water is
scarcely equal to the demand : sometimes the fire
yields to the well-directed stream ; and at other
times it breaks forth with renewed fury, and seems
to defy the efforts of those who would arrest its
progress. This, I say, will place in the justest view
the operations of the two principles within us, and
enable us to comprehend,
III. Their combined effects —
Acting always in opposition the one to the other,
they prevent us from following either to the extent
that we should, if there were but one principle within
us. Through the simultaneous actings of each,
1. We do not serve sin as we did —
[We did follow it with constancy and alacrity, and without
remorse. But not so now. The better principle will not
admit of it. Like the angel that was sent to Balaam, it
presents itself in our way to obstruct our course ; and, if we
overcome it on one occasion, it will meet us again, and renew
its opposition till it has prevailed. Nor can we now so easily
run into evil. Sin now appears to be sin, and consequently
to be an object of aversion and dread : and, though its solici-
20Se3.] PRINCIPLES OF FLESH AND SPIRIT.
tations may prevail, we yield to them rather as a captive that
is dragged against his will, than as persons following the bent
and inclination of their own hearts. Now too we can no longer
wipe our mouth, like the adulteress, and say, What evil have
I doneg? Remorse and shame are now the followers of trans
gression : and an evil thought now occasions more pain in the
soul, than formerly the perpetration of the act. Thus the
corrupt principle, though not extirpated, is obstructed, and
ceases to maintain an undisputed sway.]
2. Nor do we serve God as we would —
[The renewed soul pants after universal holiness : it
would be pure as God is pure, and perfect as God is perfect.
It would believe every word of God without the smallest
hesitation or doubt : but unbelief creeps in, and weakens the
energy of our faith. We would love God with all our heart,
and mind, and soul, and strength ; but the contracted soul
cannot expand itself to the occasion. We would draw nigh
to him in prayer and praise, and hold most intimate fellow
ship with the Father and the Son ; but the heart " starts aside
as a deceitful bow," and, like a bird entangled in a snare, is
incapable of executing its most ardent desires. In a word, the
renewed soul would be satisfied with no exertions, however
great; no services, however eminent; no enjoyment of God,
however intimate : it aspires after absolute perfection, and a
total transformation into the Divine image. But, alas ! its
attainments fall infinitely short of its desires, and it is con
strained to cry, " O that I had wings like a dove ! then would
I flee away and be at rest!"
That this is no false representation of the Christian's state,
may be seen from the account which St. Paul himself gives of
his own experience. Of the united existence of these two
principles, and of their contrary operations within him, and of
their combined effects, he speaks at large in the seventh
chapter to the Romans : " He had a law in his members
warring against the law of his mind, and bringing him into
captivity to the law of sin, which was in his members:"
" When he would do good, evil was present with him ;" so
that " the good which he would, he did not, and the evil which
he would not, that he did." " To will indeed was present
with him ; but how to perform that which was good, he found
not." Hence, feeling himself like a poor captive chained to a
putrid corpse, which he was compelled to drag about with him
to the latest period of his existence, he brake forth into this
mournful complaint, " O wretched man that I am ! who shall
deliver me from the body of this death11?"]
s Prov. xxx. 20. h Rom. vii. 11 — 24.
GALATIANS, V. 17. [2083.
From this subject we may draw many important
lessons. — It is of USE,
1. For instruction—
[How shall I know whether I am a Christian indeed ?
Shall I know it by a freedom from all anxieties, or by a de
liverance from all sin ? No ; but by an earnest anxiety about
the soul, and an incessant conflict with sin and Satan. A
body, when dead, is insensible, whatever be the state to which
it is reduced: and, if the soul be insensible of its state, it is a
proof that it is dead also. A living soul trembles at the
Divine judgments; labours to obtain a well-founded hope of
peace with God ; flees to the Lord Jesus Christ for refuge,
and cleaves to him with full purpose of heart. Being united
unto Christ by faith, the believer enlists under his banners,
and, as a good soldier, heartily engages in a conflict with all
his enemies. Never for a moment will he turn his back ; he
may be wounded, but he will not yield ; he may be beaten
down, but he will rise again to renew the combat : he will
never put off his armour, till he is crowned with victory, and
beholds " Satan himself bruised under his feet."
Now, if we will ascertain our real state before God, let us
inquire, what we know of this spiritual warfare ? Is it be
gun ? Is it carried on yet daily ? Are we like soldiers in a
camp, watching with all care, withstanding firmly the assaults
of our enemies, and in our turn vigorously pursuing them to
their strong-holds, and suffering none to approach us with
impunity ? Yes, verily, if we are Christians indeed, we are
" warring a good warfare," and " fighting the good fight of
faith." There may be, as in earthly campaigns, short seasons
of comparative ease : but if we truly belong to Christ, this is
our one business, our one employment, to walk in the Spirit,
and to crucify the flesh with its affections and lusts1.]
2. For consolation—
[No man can be engaged in this warfare without feeling
deeply humbled on account of the strength and number of
his corruptions. Many will be his sighs, his tears, his groans :
yes, " even they who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even
they will groan within themselves," will "groan, I say, being
burthenedk," longing to get rid of their corruptions, and to
have " mortality, with all its attendant evils, swallowed up of
life1." But, if sin be our burthen, it is at least a comfort to
us to reflect, that we are enabled to feel it a burthen : for
there was a time, when it was harboured and indulged with
out remorse. This too is a source of comfort, that, in this
1 Gal. v. 24, 25. k Rom. viii. 23. ! 2 Cor. v. 4.
2083.] PRINCIPLES OF FLESH AND SPIRIT.
struggle within us, the younger shall prevail"1 ; " however sin
may have abounded, grace shall much more abound ; and as
sin has formerly reigned unto death, so shall grace ultimately
reign, through righteousness, unto eternal life, through Jesus
Christ our Lord11." Doubtless the conflicts will be painful
to flesh and blood : but by them shall the soul be trained for
heaven, and be made " meet for the inheritance of the saints
in light." Go on then, stripling as thou art, believer, against
the Goliath that menaces thy existence : and know that thou
mayest enter into the combat, singing, " Thanks be to God
who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ ! "]
3. For direction—
[Whatever your attainments be, " walk humbly with God.'
Were you as perfect as Job, it would still become you, on
account of your remaining corruptions, to acknowledge your
selves "vile," and to " repent and abhor yourselves in dust
and ashes." — • Be watchful too against your spiritual
enemies. With hearts so deceitful and corrupt as yours, and
in the midst of an ensnaring world, surrounded too by myriads
of evil spirits, whose devices none but God can understand,
how can you hope to maintain your steadfastness, if you stand
not upon your watch-tower, and guard against every motion
of your corrupt nature ? And never for a moment turn
away your eyes from the Lord Jesus Christ. Where can you
wash away your past iniquities, but in the fountain of his
blood? Or where can you obtain grace sufficient for your
daily necessities, but out of the fulness which is treasured up
for you in him ? — — Lastly, continue instant in prayer.
Nothing can come to you but in answer to prayer; (for " if you
ask not, neither will you have ;") nor shall any thing be wanting
to you, if only you ask it of God for Christ's sake. Examine
your own hearts, or inquire of others what their experience has
been, and you will find it invariably true, that your victories
or defeats have been proportioned to your urgency in prayer,
or your remissness in that holy duty. As in the days of old,
whilst Moses held up his hands, Israel prevailed; but when
his hands hanged down, success was transferred to Amalek;
so it is in every age, with every saint. Watch therefore unto
prayer : continue instant in prayer : " give unto your God no
rest day or night :" plead with him : wrestle with him as Jacob
did : and you shall find " your inward man renewed day by
day," till the work of grace that has been begun in you is
perfected, and consummated in glory.]
m Gen. xxv. 2,3. Rom. v. 12. n Rom. v. 20, 21.
VOL. XVII.
GALATIANS, V. 18. [2084.
MMLXXXIV.
THE CHRISTIAN FREED FROM THE LAW.
Gal. v. 18. If ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
TO understand these words aright, we must notice,
first the general scope of the whole epistle, and then,
the particular scope of the more immediate context.
The epistle itself was written to establish the doc
trine of justification by faith alone, without the deeds
of the law ; in opposition to the Judaizing teachers,
who insisted on the necessity of observing the Jewish
ritual, in order to form a justifying righteousness, or,
at all events, to increase and confirm their interest
in Christ. In support of his argument, the Apostle
shews, that though the Law was, as a preparatory
dispensation, subservient to the Gospel, it was, as a
ground of hope before God, directly opposed to the
Gospel ; so that they could not consist together,
either in whole or in part ; and any attempt to
blend the Law with the Gospel would invalidate the
Gospel altogether, and render " Christ himself of no
effect a." But, as this controversy had been carried
on with great vehemence, and had produced a very
grievous irritation in the minds of the contending
parties, St. Paul, after establishing the truth on a
basis that could not be shaken, and enjoining his con
verts to " stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ
had made them free, and on no account to suffer
themselves to be entangled any more with the yoke
of bondage," goes on to say, " Brethren, ye have
been called unto liberty : only use not liberty for au
occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another :
for all the law is fulfilled in one word, Thou shalt
love thy neighbour as thyself. But, if ye bite and
devour one another, take heed that ye be not con
sumed one of another. This I say, then, Walk in
the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit
a ver. 2, 4.
2084.] THE CHRISTIAN FREED FROM THE LAW.
against the flesh : and these are contrary the one to
the other ; so that ye cannot do the things that ye
would ; but, if ye be led by the Spirit, ye are not
under the law." This, you perceive, is the immediate
context, wherein the Apostle cautions the Galatians
against either abusing their liberty, or maintaining
it with an unchristian spirit ; since, if they acted as
became their holy profession,, they would exercise
nothing but love, either towards their friends or their
enemies. And this he trusted they would do ; be
cause they had within themselves a spiritual principle,
which, though strongly and perseveringly opposed by
the carnal principle yet remaining in them, would
ultimately prevail : and the effectual operation of
that better principle would be sufficient of itself to
prove that they were not under the law ; since the
law could never accomplish so blessed a work ;
whereas the very design of the Gospel, and its in
variable effect, was to produce it. The dominance
of the better principle was a proof that they were
" not under the law, but under grace b."
This I apprehend to be the precise import of the
passage before us : wherein we see a state presumed ;
namely, that the true Christian is " led by the Spirit:"
and a privilege inseparably connected with that state ;
namely, that the person so living is not under the
law.
To these points I will now address myself, in their
order.
Let us first notice,
I. The state presumed —
It is here taken for granted, that every child of
God " is led by the Spirit." But, whether we are to
understand this expression as referring to the Holy
Ghost, or to that spiritual principle which is infused
into us by the Spirit of God, it is not easy to deter
mine. I rather prefer the latter sense, as more
immediately suggested by the context : and it is
certain that our Lord speaks of that divine principle
b Rom. vi. H.
228 GALATIANS, V. 18. [2084.
under the very term which is here used ; " That
which is born of the Spirit, is spirit c" By being
" led by the Spirit/' then, I understand the being
under the influence of a spiritual principle, in oppo
sition to that carnal principle which directs and go
verns the natural man. And this really characterizes
every true Christian. Not only does he possess a
new and spiritual nature ; but in him,
1. It gains the ascendant —
[We acknowledge, that in him the old man still remains ;
and that the law of sin still works in his members, to bring
forth fruit unto death. But there is in him a new man, a law
in his mind, which counteracts his evil propensities, and enables
him finally to overcome them. True, indeed, the conflict is
often severe ; and the saint will at all times be constrained to
say, " The good which I would, I do not ; and the evil which
I would not, that I do." Still, however, through grace he
gains the victory over his corruptions, and is daily renewed
in the spirit of his mind after the Divine image. Though
tempted by the world, the flesh, and the devil, " he triumphs
over them all in Christ Jesus d ;" and with his groans for more
entire deliverance mingles this song of praise, " Thanks be
to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus
Christ6!"]
2. It forms his taste—
[Outward victory may be gained to a great extent, whilst
yet the heart remains unchanged. But where this new prin
ciple really exists, the man will hate the things which once he
loved, and love the things which once he hated. Though he
may still be tempted in a variety of ways, he will feel, in a mea
sure, as our Lord himself did under the temptations of Satan.
There will be less of the inflammable matter in his soul for
the fiery darts of Satan to fix upon ; and a greater plenty of
water at hand, even of the Spirit of God, to counteract the
first action of the fire upon his soul. There will also be a
greater delight in heavenly things ; so that he will engage in
them with greater ease, and find himself more in his element,
when employed in holy exercises. We may conceive w^hat
would be the taste of an angel, if sent down to sojourn for a
time on earth ; with what indifference he would behold the
things of time and sense ; and with what a zest he would per
form the will of God : and thus the true Christian, though
far, alas! from any thing like angelic attainments, will lose his
c John iii. G. d 2 Cor. ii. 14. e Rom. vii. 24, 25.
2084.] THE CHRISTIAN FREED FROM THE LAW. 229
relish for the things which he once affected, and will savour
those things only which are suited to the spiritual mind. And
this will serve him as a criterion whereby to judge of his state
before God. He may for a time be driven, by the force of
temptation, from that which his soul supremely affects, even as
the needle may be forced from its wonted rest : but let the
opportunity once return for the discovery of his real feelings,
and he will turn to his God, even as the needle to the pole :
and by that he will shew whose attractions he delights in, and
whose motions he obeys.]
3. It regulates his life —
[The aberrations of the more advanced Christian will be
comparatively small and transient. Though in the world, he
will not be of the world. Whether he move amongst the
higher classes, or in the humblest walk of life, there will be a
consistency about him : he will be " the man of God" in all
places, and in all situations : "lie will shine as a light in a
dark world ;" and " his light will shine more and more unto
the perfect day." The spiritual principle within him is com
pared by our Lord to a fountain of water ; which pours not
out its streams like an engine wrought upon from without ; but
sends them forth by a power from within, and "springs up, as
it were, unto everlasting life." Behold him day or night, and
he is still the same ; a blessing to the world, an ornament to
his profession, an honour to his God.]
Let not any one suppose that this is an imaginary
character, drawn only to serve a purpose : it is a real
character ; and, though doubtless it exists in different
degrees, it really distinguishes every child of God :
and in my text we see,
II. The privilege inseparably connected with it-
He is not under the law —
[He has nothing to fear from its curses; because the
Saviour, in whom he has believed, and from whom he has
received the gift of the Holy Ghost, has borne them for him.
He has no dependence on its promises / seeing that he has a
better righteousness than that can ever afford to fallen man ;
even the righteousness of Christ himself imputed to him, and
made his by faith. Not even its commands have the same
terrific influence on his mind which they had in his uncon
verted state. For though he still feels bound to obey them,
he does not obey them with the same slavish fear which once
oppressed his mind : they are no longer to him the terms of
salvation, on a perfect compliance with which his everlasting
230 GALATIANS, V. 18. [2084.
happiness depends : they are to him rather the expressions of
his Father's will, which it is the joy of his soul to fulfil and
execute. His real state in relation to the law, is like that of
a woman to her deceased husband. He was once altogether
under its authority, whilst in his unconverted state ; but when
he embraced the Gospel, the Law became dead with respect
to him, and he dead with respect to it : and, though he still
makes it the rule of his life, he obeys it through grace commu
nicated to him by the Lord Jesus ; to whom, as a woman on
her second marriage, he now bears fruit unto holiness f.]
Of his liberation from the law he has within him
self a clear and decisive evidence —
[This I conceive to be the true meaning of my text. He
is under the prevailing influence of the Holy Spirit, and of a
new nature implanted by him : but " whence did he receive
the Holy Spirit? Was it under the law, or by the hearing of
faiths?" It was by the hearing of faith, no doubt; that is, by
the Gospel of Christ, who purchased for his people the gift of
the Holy Spirit, and who sends forth his Spirit upon all who
believe in himh. " What the law could not do for him, in that
it was weak through the flesh, the Gospel has done : " it has
destroyed the power of sin " within him ; and enabled him to
" walk, not after the flesh, but after the Spirit1." Hence he
is assured that " there is no condemnation to him :" for if
" the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus have made him free from
the law of sin," it has also freed him from " death," which is
the consequence of sink. Behold, then, the liberty into which
he is introduced : " Being delivered from the power of dark
ness, he is translated into the kingdom of God's dear Son l ;"
and, " being made free by him, he is become free indeed"1."]
From this subject, I cannot but urge upon you two
words of ADVICE :
1. Take care that your principles are pure and
evangelical-
fit is thought by many, that if our outward conduct be
correct, we need not be under any anxiety resecting the prin
ciples which we profess. But, is it of no consequence whether
we continue under the law, or whether we embrace the
Gospel ? Are we not expressly told, that " as many as are
of the works of the law, are under the curse" ?" Are we not
also told, that " God sent forth his Son, made of a woman,
f Rom. vii. 1 — 4. e Gal. iii. 2. h Gal. iii. 14.
1 Rom. viii. 3, 4. k Rom. viii. 1,2. ] Col. i. 13.
m John viii. 36. n Gal. iii. 10.
2084.] THE CHRISTIAN FREED FROM THE LAW. 2.31
made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law,
that we might receive the adoption of sons0?" Is it of no
importance, then, whether we lie under this curse, or be
redeemed from it? Would God have used such means for
our redemption, if it had been a matter of indifference whether
we were redeemed or not? Take the Apostle Paul in his
unconverted state : "he was, as touching the righteousness
which was in the law blameless? :" but yet he found after
wards, that, had he died in his unconverted state, he must
have perished for everq. So, indeed, must all of you, who
cleave to the law as a covenant of works, instead of laying
hold of the covenant of grace. Nothing can be more clearly
declared than this : Be your advantages or attainments what
they may, if you go about to establish your own righteousness,
instead of submitting to the righteousness of God, you must
perish1. The very law itself is intended to " lead you to
Christ8 ;" and "He is the end of the law for righteousness to
every one that believethV I call you, then, to believe in
Christ for salvation, and, like the Apostle, to renounce your
own righteousness altogether, that you may be found in
Christ, and be accepted through " the righteousness which is
by faith in himu."]
2. Take care that your conduct be such as be-
cometh the Gospel of Christ—
[You clearly see, in my text, that principles and conduct
must go together : neither will stand without the other.
Without faith in Christ, you can never hope to receive the
Holy Spirit, or to be renewed in the spirit of your mind :
nor, on the other hand, will any change whatever avail you, if
you rely not entirely on the Lord Jesus Christ for righteous
ness and salvation. It is in vain to build a superstructure, if
it be not founded on Him ; and it is in vain to think you are
founded on him, if your faith do not manifest itself by a
superstructure of good works. You must never forget, that
" faith without works is dead." You must " be led by the
Spirit of God, if ever you would approve yourselves sons of
Godx." The world, as I have before shewn you, must be put
under your feet : sin, in all its actings, must be mortified and
subdued : the whole soul must be given up to God ; and holi
ness become the very element in which you breathe and live.
Indeed, it is not a mere formal observance of duties that will
suffice : we must " have the very mind that was in Christ,"
and " walk in all things as Christ himself walked." This will
0 Gal. iv. 4, 5. P Phil. iii. 6. <i Rom. vii. 9, 10.
r Rom. ix. 30—33. and x. 3. s Gal. iii. 24.
1 Rom. x. 4. " Phil. iii. 9. x Rom. viii. 14.
GALATIANS, V. 19—24. [2085.
be our evidence, that we are really his : for then only can it
be known that " we are not under the law, but under grace,
when Christ himself lives in us, and no sin whatever is per
mitted to have dominion over usy."]
y Rom. vi. 14. with Gal. ii. 19, 20.
MMLXXXV.
THE FRUITS OF THE FLESH AND OF THE SPIRIT CON
TRASTED.
Gal. v. 19 — 24. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which
are these ; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath,
strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness,
revellings, and such like : of the which I tell you before, as
I have also told you in time past, that they which do such
things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit
of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith, meekness, temperance : against such there is
no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh
with the affections and lusts.
THROUGHOUT this whole epistle we have men
tion made of two covenants, under the one or other
of which all mankind are of necessity comprehended,
the covenant of works, and the covenant of grace.
Those who are under the covenant of works are
under the curse of God as transgressors : but those
who are under the covenant of grace, are delivered
from that curse through the mediation of the Lord
Jesus Christ, who has become a curse for thema. The
transition from the one state to the other is effected
solely by faith b. But faith is an operation of the
mind wholly invisible to men, and but too liable to
be mistaken even by ourselves. How then shall it
be ascertained either by others or ourselves to which
of these covenants we adhere ? We are told, that, on
the transition from the one to the other, we are
endued with a new and vital principle, under the in
fluence of which we from that moment begin to live.
a Gal. iii. 10—14. b Gal. Hi. 25, 20.
2085.] FRUITS OF THE FLESH AND SPIRIT. 233
The principle which rules in us under the former
state, is called " flesh ;" and that which animates us
under the latter, is called " Spirit." Not that on the
transition from the one state to the other, the former
principle is taken away : No ; it lives, and acts, and
withstands with all its might the latter principle, and
prevents it from operating so successfully as we could
wish : but still it is progressively weakened in its
operations : and by the dominance of the better prin
ciple we know that we are no longer under the law,
nor exposed to the curse which the legal covenant
entails on all who are cleaving to it.
Thus we have somewhat of a criterion whereby to
judge of our state : but still that criterion is of no
farther use than as we have a distinct view of the
fruits which the two opposite principles will produce :
let these be clearly marked, and then no further
difficulty will arise : we have only to examine our
works, of what kind they are ; and then we shall
arrive at a certain conclusion as to our state before
God : for, as " a good tree cannot bring forth corrupt
fruit, nor a corrupt tree good fruit," we shall know
the quality of the tree by the fruit which is produced
by it.
This satisfaction then is afforded us by the Apostle
in the words before us : in which we see,
I. The works of the flesh —
In enumerating them, the Apostle mentions,
1. Those which stand in more immediate con
nexion with the body—
[" Adultery " is an evil against which even heathens in
all ages have felt the deepest indignation. " Fornication "
was not regarded by them in so heinous a light: would to
God the malignity of it were duly appreciated even by the
Christian world ! But God views these evils with the utmost
abhorrence ; and not the acts only, but the dispositions from
which they spring : " Uncleanness and lasciviousness," if
cherished in the heart, are marked by him with the same dis
pleasure as the acts to which they lead ; because the indulging
of them, in word, in look, in thought, indisputably proves,
that it is not the fear of God that keeps them from breaking
out into more open acts, but some other consideration totally
234 GALATIANS, V. 19—24. [2085.
distinct from a regard to him : since the fear of God, if ope
rating at all, would operate as much to the suppression of the
desire, as to the non-indulgence of the act. Hence the mere
looking on a woman to lust after her, is declared, on infallible
authority, to be an actual commission of adultery with her in
the heart. Now all these acts and dispositions proceed from a
corrupt principle within us, even from that principle which is
called " flesh," and which is the true source of all the other
evils we commit.]
2. Those which more properly have their seat in
the mind —
[Of these, some have a more immediate reference to God,
and others are called forth only in our intercourse with men.
Of the former kind are " idolatry and witchcraft," which being
specified as " works of the flesh," clearly shew what we are to
understand by " flesh," namely, not merely any corporeal
propensity, but that general propensity to evil which operates
throughout the whole extent of our fallen nature.
"Idolatry" is a total rejection of God; and "witchcraft"
is an application to evil spirits, to impart to us something which
we have no hope of obtaining from the true God : and both
the one and the other of these is properly a " work of the flesh,"
inasmuch as it betrays a total alienation of heart from God,
and an entire subjection to that " carnal mind," which, as God
himself declares, " is enmity against himc."
The other evils which are called forth by our intercourse
with men, as " hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife,
seditions, heresies, envy ings, murders, drunkenness, re veilings,
and such like," form such a picture of our fallen nature as may
well humble us in the dust before God. It is unnecessary to
enter into a distinct consideration of them : it is in the aggre
gate only that we can stop to notice them at this time : but
what an accumulation of evil do they present to our view !
Yet is it no other than what we may see in every community
under heaven. Look at the seditions that agitate states ; the
divisions and heresies that disturb the Church ; the feuds and
quarrels that set man against his fellow man, and often termi
nate even in "murder" itself: whence do they all arise?
Come they not hence, even from the lusts that war in our
members d? or, in other words, from the corruption of the
human heart ? There are some evils which pass under the
milder name of good fellowship, and conviviality ; some which,
like the " revellings " that were common among the heathen,
consist of feastings, dancings, and excess of every kind : but,
however we may soften them down by specious names, and
c Rom. viii. 7. d Jam, iv, 1.
2085.] FRUITS OF THE FLESH AND SPIRIT. 235
plead for them as innocent amusements, they are all hateful
to God, and destructive to man : insomuch that the man who
finds his pleasure in them " can in no wise enter the kingdom
of heaven." Often had the Apostle entered his protest against
such carnal indulgences, so unworthy of a rational being, and
so unsuited to persons standing on the brink of eternity. Can
we conceive, that if man had retained his primeval innocence,
he would have found delight in any such things as these ? If
the ungodly themselves saw pious people seeking their happi
ness in such things as these, would they see no incongruity
between their professions and their occupations? Yes; they
would be the first to proclaim the hypocrisy of such professors :
which is itself an acknowledgment that the things themselves
are adverse to piety, and inconsistent with it.
Know then, that all these and " such like" evils, whether
arising from the body, or emanating from the mind, are de
cidedly to be ranked under " the works of the flesh," " which
whosoever doeth shall not inherit the kingdom of God."
Unwelcome as this declaration was to the carnal man, St. Paul
hesitated not to make it repeatedly, and in the strongest
terms : and we also, if we will approve ourselves faithful to
God and to the office committed to us, must proclaim the
same awful truth, and forewarn all, that, if they continue under
the power of any of the hateful dispositions before specified,
or seek their happiness in the things of time and sense, they
will inevitably and eternally exclude themselves from the
kingdom of heaven.]
In contrast with these, the Apostle proceeds to
enumerate,
II. The fruits of the Spirit—
And here he mentions,
1. Those which have their sphere of action chiefly
within our own bosoms —
[The very mention of them marks at once their nature
and their origin — " Love, joy, peace I" Whence come they ?
Are they the offspring of our corrupt nature ? No ; nature
never bare such fruits as these : these spring from that divine
principle, which is imparted to us by the Spirit of God at the
time of our regeneration and conversion. Then love springs
up in the soul : love to God ; love to Christ ; love to man for
Christ's sake. Then also does a "joy with which the stranger
intermeddleth not," a "joy in God through our Lord Jesus
Christ," a joy in the testimony of a good conscience, a joy in
the prospect of a glorious immortality, transport the soul :
and its ebullitions, which, if continued, would exhaust the
236 GALATIANS, V. 19—24. [2085.
strength of our animal frame, subside into a peaceful compo
sure, a sweet serenity of mind, a " peace of God which passeth
all understanding." These are the never-failing fruits of
divine grace in the soul. A variety of circumstances may
occur which may impede the exercise of these holy affections ;
especially the workings of a corrupt nature, still striving to
bring us into captivity to sin, may occasionally prevail to damp
our joy and interrupt our peace ; but according to the measure
of the grace given unto us, will be the fruits of that grace
abounding in the soul]
2. Those which have a more immediate relation to
our fellow-creatures —
[Towards them, both the active and passive virtues are
called forth by incidents of daily occurrence. " Long-suffer
ing, gentleness, goodness, faith (or fidelity), meekness " have
a constant scope for exercise, as also "temperance" has,
both in the desire of earthly things, and in the enjoyment of
them. Here again it is not necessary to enter minutely into
these different virtues : it is the collective body of them which
characterizes the true Christian, and marks, beyond a possi
bility of doubt, the excellence of the principle from which they
spring.
" Against these there is no law." Not one word is there
to be found in all the Holy Scriptures that condemns the pro
duction of these fruits. Were they condemned, our blessed
Lord and Saviour must fall under condemnation; since he
maintained and exercised these virtues to a degree never
equalled by mortal man. Tt is impossible to yield these fruits
too much: the more we abound in them, the more we resemble
the Lord Jesus Christ, and the more do we evince a meetness
for the heavenly inheritance.]
Now comes the point to be determined ; namely,
What is,
III. The Christian's state in reference to them both —
The description given of Christians must not be
overlooked—
[There is no periphrasis by which they can be more fitly
described, than that given in our text, " They that are
Christ's." This is their title universally; and it belongs to
them alone. They were from eternity given unto Christ by
the Father; as Christ himself says, " Thine they were; and
thou gavest them to mee." They have been purchased by
e John xvii. 6, 9, 11, 12, 24.
2085.] FRUITS OF THE FLESH AND SPIRIT. 237
Christ himself, as his peculiar possession : and they have given
up themselves to him by a willing and deliberate surrender of
all that they are and have. By a vital union also are they his,
being, as it were, " one spirit with him." Hence in many
parts of Scripture are they designated as in the words of our
text: "All things are yours; and ye are ChristV:" and
again, " If any man trust to himself that he is Christ's, let
him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ's, even so
are we Christ's5." Blessed distinction! glorious privilege!
Believer, think of thyself under this character, and then see
what obligations thou owest to God for this unspeakable mercy,
and " what manner of person thou shouldest be in all holy
conversation and godliness."]
Their state is suited to this high character—
[" They have crucified the flesh with the affections and
lusts." Crucifixion, it must be remembered, is a lingering
death. The thieves who were crucified with Christ poured
forth their venom against him, even whilst they were sus
pended on the cross. Thus also, " the old man in believers
is crucified with Christ, that the body of sin may be destroyed,
that henceforth they should not serve sin11:" nevertheless it is
not utterly extinct : it still lives ; and still rages and rebels
against Christ ; and would, if suffered to come down from the
cross, regain its former ascendency. But there it is fixed :
and thence it never shall come down, till the body itself shall
cease to live. All its affections and all its desires, though still
possessed of considerable strength, are checked in their ope
ration, and restrained in their exercise ; " the Spirit " now
reigns : the new affections now put forth a vigour, which
" the flesh " can no longer withstand. The warfare is indeed
continued: but victory declares itself on the side of the better
principle ; so that, whereas the believer formerly " walked
after the flesh," he now in his daily life and conversation
" walks after the Spirit," and progressively advances in his
heavenly course as long as he continues in the world1. " His
path is like the shining light, which shineth more and more
unto the perfect day."]
SEE then from hence,
1. How Messed is the influence of the Gospel!
[By the Gospel this change is wrought. And, to form
an estimate of the change, paint to yourselves the countenances
of the Jews when they met on the day of Pentecost with their
hands yet reeking with their Saviour's blood ; and the same
f 1 Cor. iii. 23. e 2 Cor. x. 7.
h Rom. vi. G. * Horn. vi. 20, 22. with viii. 1. 4.
238 GALATIANS, V. 19-24. [2085.
persons on the evening of that clay, when they were " eating
their bread with gladness and singleness of heart, blessing and
praising God :" methinks, heaven and hell scarcely present a
greater contrast, than those very persons within that short
period. Yet such is the change which the Gospel will pro
duce, wherever it is received in deed and in truth. Hear how
the Prophet Isaiah describes it : " Ye shall go out with joy,
and be led forth with peace : the mountains and the hills shall
break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field
shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up
the fir-tree ; and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle-
tree : and it shall be to the Lord for a name, and for an
everlasting sign that shall not be cut oif V O, beloved, see
that this change take place in you : for to effect it is the glory
of the Gospel ; and no further than this change is wrought in
you, have you any evidence that you belong to Christ.]
2. How vain are the expectations of carnal pro
fessors !
[Frequently does the Apostle characterize as " carnal,"
those who are yet under the power of unholy tempers and
affections. Look, thou professor of godliness, and see what
thy conduct is, in the family, the Church, the state. Art thou
a favourer of feuds, of heresies, of seditions? Take off thy
mask, and proclaim thyself an hypocrite. Thou hast no part
nor lot in the salvation of God. Yet rest not here : but go on
to examine how far all holy tempers and heavenly affections
abound in thee : see whether thou livest in the habitual exer
cise of love, joy, peace ; and whether thy whole walk be
marked by long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, fidelity, meek
ness, temperance? See whether in these things thou re-
semblest Him whose property thou professest thyself to be,
even that blessed Jesus who requires thee to walk as he
walked? Know of a certainty, that, " if thou walkest after
the flesh, thou shalt die ; but if through the Spirit thou
mortifiest the deeds of the body, then, and then only, shalt
thou live1."]
3. How desirable is it to obtain an interest in
Christ !
[All this will he do for those who truly believe in him.
Came he, think you, to save you from hell only? No; he
came to " save you from your sins." He came to make you
new creatures ; and to transform you into the Divine image,
in righteousness and true holiness. Seek then an interest in
him. Give up yourselves to him, to be washed in his blood,
k Isai. Iv. 12, 13. l Rom. viii. 13.
2086.] WALKING IN THE SPIRIT. 239
and to be renewed by his Spirit. Do this, and you shall have
no cause to complain that your corruptions are invincible:
for his grace shall be sufficient for you, even though your
corruptions were ten thousand times more powerful than they
are. Nor imagine that the maintenance of holy tempers and
affections shall be such an impracticable task as Satan would
represent it to be: for the love of God shed abroad in the
heart shall render every thing easy. Only receive the Lord
Jesus Christ into your hearts by faith, and he will work
effectually within you, as he does in all his saints : " He will
fulfil in you all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the
work of faith with power ; and so shall the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to
the grace of our God, and the Lord Jesus Christ111."]
m 2Thess. i. 11, 12.
MMLXXXVI.
WALKING IN THE SPIRIT.
Gal. v. 25. If we live in the Spirit,, let us also walk in the Spirit.
MEN, as creatures, may be called " the offspring
of Jehovah," " in whom they live, and move, and have
their beinga." But, as created anew in Christ Jesus,
we have a nearer relation to God, seeing that his
Spirit dwelleth in us : and consequently, we are bound
in a more peculiar manner to glorify him by a suitable
life and conversation. This is strongly intimated in
the words of our text : in which we see,
L The Christian's character —
It is here assumed that the Christian " lives in the
Spirit." That the Christian's character, as here de
scribed, may be fully understood, let us mark,
1 . The import of the assumption—
[Two things are implied in the expression " living in the
Spirit," namely, that the Christian is endued with the Spirit ;
and that he lives under the influence of the Spirit. The
Christian has not merely the powers and faculties which he
brought into the world with him, and which an heathen
possesses as well as he ; but he has received the Spirit of God,
a Acts xvii. 28.
2K) GALATIANS, V. 25. [2086.
by whom he has been quickened from a death in trespasses
and sins, and been made a partaker of a new principle of life,
whereby he is enabled to live to God. This new principle is
distinct from any thing which man, by any powers of his own,
can acquire, and from any thing which can by any means be
derived from man. It is a sovereign gift of God, as much as
the natural life is : and they who have received it, are said to
have " been born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh,
nor of the will of man, but of God." They who have expe
rienced this heavenly birth, have the Spirit of God dwelling
and abiding in them; enlightening their minds, directing their
steps, sanctifying their hearts, and " fulfilling in them all the
good pleasure of their God" — — ]
2. The truth of this assumption —
[It is taken for granted by the Apostle, as an unques
tionable truth, that every real Christian " lives in, and by,
the Spirit." And well may this be taken for granted ; since
the Spirit of God is to the soul of man, what the soul itself is
to the body. Without the soul, the body is dead ; and the
body, when bereft of it, is no more a man, but a mere corpse.
So the soul without the Spirit of God is dead ; and the person
destitute of the Spirit, is not a Christian, but a mere man, like
any heathen man. This is expressly asserted by the Apostle
Paul : " If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none
of his1*." To the same effect, also, our blessed Lord most
solemnly affirms, " Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a
man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into
the kingdom of Godc." The point, then, is clear and indis
putable : a Christian is one who is born of the Spirit, and who
lives under the Spirit's influence: and if any person would
estimate his own character aright, he must inquire into these
two points. It is not sufficient that he has been baptized
into the faith of Christ, or that he gives a speculative assent to
all the truths of Christianity; he must possess a principle
which none but God can give him, and which regulates all his
views, desires, and pursuits. I pray you, brethren, before you
go any further, examine yourselves in relation to this matter :
for I must declare to you before God, that if Jesus Christ
dwell not in you in this manner, you are not Christians, but
mere baptized heathens : and so unquestionable is this truth,
that St. Paul makes it a matter of appeal, to be decided by
your ownselves: " Know ye not your ownselves, how that
Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates d?"]
Answerable to this high character are,
b Rom. viii. 9. c John iii. 3, 5. d 2 Cor. xiii. 5.
2086. J WALKING IN THE SPIRIT. 24-1
II. His obligations—
" If we be in the Spirit, we should also walk in the
Spirit ;" that is, we should walk,
1. In compliance with his motions—
[There are inward motions of the Spirit, which a person
who lives nigh to God may discern, and which it becomes him
very carefully to follow. Not that they can with certainty be
distinguished from the voice of a man's own conscience, except
by the quality of the suggestions themselves ; (for it is in and
by the conscience that the Spirit speaks:) but they are so
agreeable to the mind of God, that they manifest from whom
they come ; and God himself, " who knoweth what is the mind
of the Spirit," when he beholds them in us, acknowledges
them to be of divine origin6. When temptations to evil arise,
the Spirit softly whispers to the soul, " O, do not that abomi
nable thing which I hatef." So also, when doubts arise in the
mind respecting the path of duty, he causes us to " hear a voice
behind us, saying, This is the way; walk ye in itg." And in a
mind that is at all well regulated, I believe that the first
intimations of conscience will be found to be, for the most
part, most accordant with the mind and will of God : and
though I would on no account discourage the closest possible
examination of what is so suggested, and the trial of it by the
touchstone of God's word, yet I cannot but say, that in our
subsequent reasonings the voice of the Spirit is too often
silenced, and its suggestions are superseded by the dictates of
prejudice, or fear, or interest, or passion,]
2. In obedience to his will —
[God's will is revealed in the written word ; and to that
we must refer, on every occasion. In that is our whole
course distinctly marked ; and by that must our every step be
regulated: as says the prophet; " To the word and to the
testimony: if we speak not according to that word, there is no
light in ush." By that must the suggestions, of which we
have before spoken, be tried. For it is possible that sugges
tions may come even from the wicked one : and if we were to
place implicit confidence in them, we might run into the most
fatal errors, whilst we supposed ourselves under heavenly
guidance. Of this we are sure, that the Spirit of God never
moves us to any thing which is contrary to the written word.
In following the voice of inspiration, we are safe: and to that
we should yield the most implicit obedience. When we
e 1 Cor. ii. 10, 11. with Rom. viii. 27. f Jer. xliv. 4.
B Isai. xxx. 21. " Isai. viii. 20.
VOL. XVII. R
242 GALATIANS, V. 25. [2080.
combine the two, and are simultaneously directed by the light
ivithin and the light without, we may reasonably hope that
we are in the right way, and " walking in the Spirit," as God
requires.]
From the passage thus explained, I would take occa
sion to COMMEND to your constant aim,
1. Consistency—
[This is the primary point suggested in our text: our
practice must accord with our profession: if, as we profess,
we " live in the Spirit," we must take care to " walk in the
Spirit." We must " walk worthy of our high calling;" or
rather, I should say, we must " walk worthy of the Lord
himself." We must attend equally to both tables of the law ;
and never make a respect for the one a plea for neglecting
and violating the other. Our conduct must be uniform, at all
times, in all places, under all circumstances. What we are in
the public assembly, and in the society of God's people, that
we must be in the world, the family, the closet. All our
tempers and dispositions must resemble those of Christ; so
that every one who sees us may bear testimony to us, that we
" have both the Spirit of Christ," and " the mind of Christ."
Dear brethren, it is in this way only that we can honour God,
or approve ourselves his children indeed.]
2. Advancement —
[We must be making a continual progress in the divine
life ; and never think ourselves so advanced, but that we need
to be going forward in our Christian course. Our " path must
be like that of the sun, which shines more and more unto the
perfect day." Even St. Paul thought not that he had yet
" attained, or was already perfect:" but this one thing he did,
" forgetting the things that were behind, and reaching forth
unto those that were before, he pressed forward toward the
mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ
Jesus." And we also, if we would be perfect, must " be thus
minded1."]
3. Rest—
[To this it is our privilege to look forward ; even as Israel
did, when journeying in the wilderness. In truth, this life,
with all its labours and conflicts, would be a very miserable
life, if we had no prospect of a better. But " there is a rest
that remaineth for the people of God :" and with that in view,
we may well exert ourselves with all our might. That will
richly recompense all our labours. What will not men do,
1 Phil. iii. 13—15.
2087.] BENEVOLENCE RECOMMENDED. 243
even for a corruptible crown ? But ours is incorruptible.
" Be not weary, then, in well-doing: for in due season ye
shall reap, if ye faint not."]
MMLXXXVII.
BENEVOLENCE RECOMMENDED.
Gal. vi. 2. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law
of Christ.
TO open and unfold the mystery of the Gospel, is
doubtless an employment which, in point of utility
to others, or of comfort to ourselves, may vie with
any other,, in which a human being can be engaged.
But to inculcate the morality of the Gospel is also a
most delightful office : and a minister of Christ, who
feels averse to it, gives reason to fear that he has
never yet entered into the spirit of the doctrine
which he professes to teach. St. Paul manifestly de
lighted in this good work ; for, in the close of all his
epistles, he paid the most marked attention to ita.
Nor did he rest in general instruction, but descended
to the most minute particulars ; omitting nothing
that could tend to advance the honour of God, or the
welfare of mankind.
That we may enter into the precept before us, we
will consider,
I. The duty enjoined —
Burthens of some kind every man is called to sus
tain —
[Some may be comparatively freed from them; nor do
they lie on any with the same weight and pressure at all
times : but no child of man is altogether exempt from them.
The body is subject to diseases, the mind to trials, and the
outward estate to disasters, which no human foresight can
prevent, no power on earth can avoid. They greatly mistake,
who think that trouble is the exclusive portion of the poor.
The rich, in their respective spheres, are as obnoxious to it as
the poor ; and, for the most part, by reason of their keener
sensibility, they feel it more acutely.]
a See Gal. v. 19—24.
244 GALATIANS, VI. 2. [2087.
Nor can any support their burthens alone —
[The king upon the throne needs the assistance of others,
as much as the beggar upon the dunghill. The very necessities
of our nature call for mutual aid. No one could support
himself alone. It is by the division of labour that society is
kept together, and every individual that composes it is made
happy. All, taking on themselves some one office for the
benefit of others, promote, at the same time, both their own
welfare, and the welfare of the whole community. The
artisan, the man of science, the practitioner in any useful line,
supply the wants of others in common with their own ; and,
whilst depending on their employers for their own support,
administer support in return to them. It is thus that the
hungry are fed, the naked clothed, the sick healed, and the
weak protected in their rights.]
But, not confining ourselves to the duty of our own
particular station, we should endeavour,, as God may
enable us, to bear the burthens of all—
[This may be done in a way of sympathy, and in a way of
succour. As members of the same body, we ought all to care
for each other1', and to sympathize with each other under our
several circumstances, whether of joy or sorrow. The Divine
command is, " Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep
with them that weepc." But sympathy must shew itself in
deeds, and not in words only. It will be to little purpose to
" say to our destitute and naked brother, ' Be warmed,' or, ' Be
filled,' whilst we withhold from him what is needful for his
support d." True, indeed, we cannot all administer relief to
others in the same way, or to the same extent : but what we can
do, we should with alacrity and joy. The eye, the ear, the
tongue, the hand, the foot, cannot all render the same service to
the body : but, if they improve their respective energies and
powers for the good of the whole, they answer the end for
which they were formed. Thus ive should consider what
service we are best capable of rendering to every afflicted
brother : and to that we should address ourselves with all dili
gence; blessing and adoring God, who has put it into our
power to shew love to our fellow-creatures, and fidelity to Him.
The word which St. Paul used, to express the assistance which
the Holy Spirit affords to us in our necessities, marks the
precise office which we are to occupy in assisting all who stand
in need of help from us : we should take hold on the opposite
end of their load, and bear it together with them6. And this
b Phil. ii. 4. 1 Cor. xii. '25. c Rom. xii. 15.
d Jam. ii. 14 — Hi. e Rom. viii. 26.
2087.] BENEVOLENCE RECOMMENDED. 215
we may all do in some measure, yea, and must do, if we would
approve ourselves faithful to the trust reposed in us.]
That we may be stimulated to this duty, let me
endeavour to impress upon your minds,
II. The consideration by which it is enforced—
In executing this office,, we " fulfil the law of
Christ "-
\_TJie Lord Jesus Christ has enjoined it as our duty : "These
things I command you, that ye love one another f." He has
gone further ; and proposed himself to us as the pattern to which,
in our exercise of love, we should be conformed : " A new
command I give unto you, that ye love one another: as I have
loved you, that ye also love one another g." He has gone
further still ; and declared, that the love which we are here
called to exercise is the distinctive badge of all his followers :
11 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye
have love one to another." Nay more ; he has told us that it
is the test whereby he ivill try our fidelity to him in the day of
judgment: to those who have administered to the necessities
of others he will give a suitable reward ; and to those who have
neglected this great duty, a just and fearful doomh.
Now, if he had only expressed it as a wish that we would
perform such services for him, methinks it were abundantly
sufficient to call forth all our exertions in his service. But
when he issues it as his command, as his command which we
must obey at the peril of our souls, who will venture to dis
obey it ? Think but a moment what Christ has done for you:
" Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he
was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through
his poverty might be rich1." Has He, the God of heaven, left
his throne of glory, that, through his own sufferings unto death
he might exalt you to it : and will not you, a redeemed sinner,
forego some small comforts, in order to administer to the
necessities of your afflicted brethren ; and especially when called
to it by your Redeemer himself? — — ]
This law, then, I now call you to obey—
[Let the affluent bear the burthens of the poor —
The healthy, of the sick— -The enlightened, of the ig
norant— -The saved, of those who are perishing in
their sins — — And let those who are not able to engage
actively in the duties of benevolence spread the cases of
their afflicted brethren before God in prayer, and bring down
from God the help which they themselves are unable to im
part ]
f John xv. 17. s John xiii. 34.
h Matt. xxv. 34 — -10. [ 2 Cor. viii. 9,
M-0 GALATIANS, VI. 3—5. [2088.
MMLXXXVIII.
AGAINST SELF-DECEIT.
Gal. vi. 3 — 5. If a man think himself to be something, when he
is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove
his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone,
and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden.
SELF-KNOWLEDGE is at the root of all true
religion. Without that, we shall have no right dis
position,, either towards God or man. Without that,
we shall not be able to pity the fallen, or sympathize
with the afflicted ; but shall be alike unfeeling to
wards the failings and the necessities of our fellow-
creatures. But, if we are duly conscious of our own
weakness, we shall be ready to " restore in meekness
any brother that has been overtaken with a fault :"
and, if wre know our own desert, we shall most
willingly labour to " fulfil the law of Christ, in bear
ing the burthens of others," as He has borne ours.
To cultivate self-knowledge therefore is, in this view,
extremely important : but more especially is it so in
the prospect of that judgment which God himself will
shortly pass on every child of man : for, whatever be
our estimate of our own character, it is not by that,
but by God's own view of us, that our state shall be
determined to all eternity. This is plainly declared
in the words before us ; in which we may see,
I. An evil complained of—
The entertaining too high an opinion of ourselves
is a common evil ; I should rather say, is an evil co
extensive with the human race, with those at least
who have not been converted by the grace of God.
If it be asked, Whence does this evil arise ? I answer,
1. From judging ourselves by a defective stan
dard —
[The generality take no higher standard than that which
custom has established in the place where they live : and if
they conduct themselves agreeably to that, they consider them
selves as having fulfilled all that can reasonably be required of
20S8.J AGAINST SELF-DECEIT. 247
them. They never once suspect, that to " walk according to
the course of this world is to walk according to the prince of
the power of the air," or that " the broad road is that which
leadeth to destruction." They have satisfied others; and
therefore they have satisfied themselves.
But some take a far higher standard, even the law of God
itself, (as far as they understand it,) and aim at obedience to
the whole will of God. But they take only the letter of the
law ; and if they abstain from the actual commission of murder,
adultery, and theft, they imagine that they have no reason to
reproach themselves with any violation of the commandments
which forbid those crimes. Hence, like the Young Man in
the Gospel, they will recite the commandments, and say, " All
these have I kept from my youth up : what lack I yet ?" This
was the source of Paul's self-deception, in his unconverted
state. He knew not the spirituality of the law ; and therefore
he imagined himself to be alive, whilst he was really dead, with
respect to all spiritual obedience a. He thought himself to
be something, when he was nothing ; and thereby deceived
himself.]
2. From comparing ourselves with others—
[Some look at those who are of the same rank and age
with themselves : and, if they fall not below them, they con
clude that they are right. Others look at those rather who
live without any particular regard to morals : and, from seeing
a manifest superiority in themselves to these, they will with a
self-complacent air say, in their hearts at least, if not with
their lips, " I thank thee, O God, that I am not as other men
are, or even as this Publican." Others again will compare
themselves with the religious world. They will select those
who have in any respect dishonoured their holy profession,
and hold them forth as a proper specimen of all. Or they
will take the more defective part of a good character, and re
present it as exhibiting a just picture of the man himself. In
doing this too they will believe all they hear, without any
examination or inquiry : they will make no allowances for any
thing as arising out of peculiar circumstances : they overlook
entirely all the humiliation and contrition which in a real saint
follow the commission of a fault: they will go further still,
and impute all this evil to wilful and deliberate hypocrisy :
and then they will bless themselves that they are at least as
good, if not better than those who make so much profession
of godliness ; yea, therefore better, because they make no
such profession.
But to these we may apply what the Apostle said of the
a Rom. vii. 9.
2-1-8 GALATIANS, VI. 3—5. [2088.
false teachers at Corinth ; " They measuring themselves by
themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are
not wiseV For what have they to do with others ? It is not
by any comparative goodness that their character will be esti
mated. Whether they be better or worse than others, they
are in God's sight precisely what they are in themselves : and,
whilst they form a judgment of themselves by the relative
situation which they occupy in the scale of general goodness,
they only deceive their own souls.]
3. From comparing our present with our former
state-
fit may be, that at an early period of our lives we were
gay and dissipated : and that since that time we have reformed,
and become observant of many duties. Yet still we may be
very far from a state that is pleasing and acceptable to God :
we may even (and it is no uncommon case) be more odious in
his eyes than before, by having become more inflated with
pride and self-confidence, in proportion as we have reformed
our external conduct. For what is this, but to exchange
" fleshly for spiritual filthiness," and to acquire the image of
Satan in proportion as we have relinquished that of the beast?
But, waving this circumstance, which may or may not exist,
the question is, not what reformation we have experienced,
but what yet remains to be reformed? It matters little that
the outward conduct is changed, if the heart remains the same.
If we are not " new creatures in Christ Jesus," we have attained
nothing to any good purpose : and, if we look with compla
cency on any change short of that, we fancy ourselves some
thing when we are nothing, and fatally deceive ourselves.]
4. From judging under the influence of partiality
and self-love —
[Self-love blinds us : it hides from us our faults ; or puts
such a specious gloss upon them, that they are scarcely dis
cerned as faults. It magnifies our virtues too, and not unfre-
quentiy represents as virtues what in reality are grievous sins.
If there be any point in our character that is more favourable,
(as generosity, or benevolence, or any other good quality,) self-
love represents that to us as constituting almost the whole of
our character, and then fills us with self-complacency in the
contemplation of it. Thus it was with the Pharisees of old,
who " trusted in themselves that they were righteous," whilst
in the sight of God they were no better than " whited se
pulchres." And thus it will be with all of us, until God open
b 2 Cor. x. 12.
2088.] AGAINST SELF-DECEIT. 219
our eyes to see things as they really are, and give us hearts to
judge righteous judgment.]
But for this evil there is in our text,,
II. A remedy prescribed-
God has given to us an unerring standard of right
and wrong —
[In the Holy Scriptures, he has revealed to us his mind
and will, and shev/n us what is that state which becomes us,
as creatures, and as sinners. As creatures, we ought to love
him with all our heart and mind and soul and strength, and
to love our neighbour as ourselves. As sinners, we ought
to humble ourselves before him in dust and ashes ; to lay hold
on the covenant which he has made with us in the Son of his
love ; to seek for mercy solely through the atoning sacrifice of
Christ ; to live by faith on Christ, receiving out of his fulness
as branches from the vine ; and by the influences of his Spirit
to bring forth fruit to his glory. And, to form a right estimate
of our character, we must try ourselves by this standard : we
must see how far we are observant of his law, and how far we
are obedient to his Gospel.
But besides this written standard, we have a copy of all
perfection set before us in the example of Christ. We see
how ardent and uniform was his zeal for God, and how active
and self-denying his love for man. We see him in all situa
tions of difficulty ; we behold all his tempers and dispositions
tried to the uttermost by the perverseness and cruelty of men ;
and we see in every thing how to conduct ourselves towards
God and man. In his example, we have a touchstone whereby
to try our supposed virtues : and, whereinsoever we differ from
him, or come short of him, (unless in those things which arose
out of his mediatorial character,) we may assuredly conclude
that we are wrong.
Further, though the word of God, and the example of
Christ, are the only unerring standards of truth, we have yet
further, — what is of great advantage to us, — the examples of
men who were of like passions with ourselves. We see
Patriarchs, Prophets, and Apostles, all walking, as it were,
before our eyes ; and we learn from them how we ought to
walk and to please God. If we take the life of Abraham, of
Daniel, of the Apostle Paul ; if we contemplate their unshaken
faith, and unreserved obedience; and then inquire how we
have demeaned ourselves under any circumstances which have
borne an affinity with theirs; we may certainly attain a
pretty correct knowledge of our state and character before
God.]
250 GALATIANS, VI. 3—5. [2088.
By this standard then we should try ourselves—
[It is of use to all persons, and under all circumstances.
From the king on the throne to the beggar on the dunghill,
all may find it suitable to their condition. To it therefore
we should refer the whole of our conduct, and by it " every
one should prove his own work." Every particular work
should be tried by it. Whatever the work be, we should ex
amine what the written word required of us, and see how far
our work fell short of the true standard. We should bring it
to the test, and inquire into the principle from which it flowed,
the manner in which it was executed, and the end for which it
was performed ; and then form our judgment, after a candid
and impartial survey of its defects.
But it is not our actions only that should be so proved : we
should examine also the entire state and habit of our minds :
for it is this, and this only, that will determine our real cha
racter before God. And who that does this will think highly
of his own attainments? Who that considers what is that
love which is due to the Supreme God ; what is that gratitude
which the Lord Jesus Christ calls for at our hands ; what is
that affiance which we should place in him ; and what is that
zeal which we should put forth in his service ; who, I say,
will then vaunt himself as somebody, and swell with self-
preference and self-conceit? The remedy once brought into
daily and habitual use, will soon cure the evil complained of
in our text.]
What the Apostle thought of this remedy, appears
from,
III. The prescription eulogized —
A more valuable prescription could not be given
either,
1. As it respects our present happiness—
[To what purpose is it to be applauded by others, even
though we were held forth as patterns of all that is great and
excellent? It might please our vanity; but it would afford
us no solid satisfaction, whilst we are afraid to bring our con
duct to the only true test. What comfort would a merchant
feel to hear that he was reputed rich, if his affairs were so
embarrassed that he dared not examine his accounts, and
knew not but that he was on the very verge of bankruptcy ?
So is the man, who, whilst he is extolled by his fellow-
creatures, is averse to learn what is said of him by his God.
On the contrary, the man who tries himself by the standard
of God's word, and finds that, amidst innumerable defects, he
2088.] AGAINST SELF-DECEIT. 251
is on the whole upright before God, he " has his rejoicing
in himself alone, and not in another." He lives not on the
testimony of his fellow-creatures : his comfort is independent
either of their censure or applause. He rejoices in the testi
mony of his own conscience, as the Apostle Paul did c. He
" has the witness in himself:" and "the Spirit of God also
witnesses with his Spirit," that he is a " child of God." O
what an advantage is this, under every situation and circum
stance of life ! Are we in a state of prosperity ? We shall
make no account of our wealth or honour in comparison of
the testimony of a good conscience. Are we in adversity?
Our spirit will be buoyant in a sea of troubles ; we shall know
assuredly that all things are working together for our good,
and that, " light and momentary in themselves, they are
working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of
glory."]
2. As it respects our eternal welfare —
[Whatever others may think of us, or we may think of
ourselves, it will not at all influence the judgment of our
God : " for not he that commendeth himself will be approved,
but he whom the Lord commendeth d." The works that are
applauded of men, may be recorded in his book of remem
brance as splendid sins: and the works that are condemned
by men, may be put to our account as services greatly to be
rewarded. The very same judgment which the written word
pronounces now, our God will pronounce hereafter. Hence,
in bringing ourselves continually to this standard, we know
what will be approved in the last day, and what sentence to
expect at the mouth of a righteous Judge. There will doubt
less be many actions which will be erroneously judged by
man, and the precise quality of which we ourselves also are at
present unable to discover : but, whilst we are conscious of an
unfeigned desire to please and honour God, we shall say with
the Apostle, " It is a small matter to be judged of man's
judgment; yea, I judge not mine own self: but he that
judge th me is the Lord6." My own heart does not condemn
me ; and therefore I have confidence towards Godf." Whilst
practising this habit, we shall be attentive to every thing we
do. We shall preserve a tenderness of conscience : we shall
spy out readily any thing that has been amiss. We shall,
from a sense of the imperfection of our very best deeds, wash
them daily in the fountain of Christ's blood, and never hope
for the acceptance of them but through his atoning sacrifice,
and his all-powerful intercession. Thus, whilst all, who refer
c 2 Cor. i. 12. d o Cor. x. 18.
e 1 Cor. iv, 3, 4. f 1 John iii. 20, 21.
252 GALATIANS, VI. 3—5. [2088.
their actions to any inferior standard, delude their own souls,
and " treasure up wrath against the day of wrath," the careful
Christian attains a just knowledge of his own state, and accu
mulates " a weight of glory," which " the Lord, the righteous
Judge," shall confer upon him in exact proportion to the
services he has rendered to his Godg. Here we are called to
bear the burthens of others ; and frequently to groan under
burthens that are unrighteously cast upon us : but in the day
of judgment, both the one and the other of these will be
removed from us, and we shall " bear that only which is pro
perly our own:" " we shall reap precisely what we have sown:
if we have sown to the flesh, we shall of the flesh reap corrup
tion ; and, if we have sown to the Spirit, we shall of the Spirit
reap life everlasting11."]
ADDRESS—
1. Those who form too favourable an opinion of
their state—
[Do not imagine that we wish unnecessarily to disturb
your peace. We would to God that " your peace might flow
down like a river !" All that we are anxious to do, is, to keep
you from resting in undue security, and " saying, Peace,
peace, when there is no peace." When we entreat you to
stop and try yourselves, and to prove your own work, what
do we but consult your truest happiness both in time and in
eternity ? We desire to bring every one of you to a state of
holy joy, even to " a joy which no man can take from you,"
" a rejoicing in yourself alone, and not in another." Let me
then say to you, as the Apostle does, " Let not any man think
of himself more highly than he ought to think, but think
soberly1 :" and again, " Examine yourselves, whether ye be in
the faith: prove your own selvesV' It is in this way only
that you can attain self-knowledge, or be delivered from self-
deception. Think what you will of yourselves, " you are
nothing," nor ever can be any thing, but poor, weak, guilty
creatures, indebted to the free grace of God alone for all your
hope and all your salvation. Even St. Paul, whilst declaring
that " he was not a whit behind the very chiefest Apostles,"
confessed that " he was nothing1." Let the same mind be in
you, and you will find the salvation of the Gospel sweetly
suited to your souls.]
2. Those who form too unfavourable an opinion of
their state—
K 1 Cor. iii. 8. Heb. xi. 26. '• ver. 7, 8.
' Rom. xii. 3. k 2 Cor. xiii. 5. ' 2 Cor. xii. 11.
2088.] AGAINST SELF-DECEIT.
[Some there are, who, when they see how far they have
departed from God, are ready to imagine, that they have
sinned beyond the reach of mercy, and that, with respect to
them, Christ has died in vain. But no man is warranted to
say, that his state is desperate; nor ought any man to come to
such a conclusion after the strictest search. There is one
distinction which ought never to be forgotten : it is this ; that
whatever grounds sin affords for humiliation, it affords none
for despondency. If there were not a sufficiency in the blood
of Christ to cleanse from the guilt of sin, we might well
despair: or, if there were not a sufficiency in the grace of
Christ to rescue from the power of sin, we might justly say,
There is no hope : but, whilst we are assured that Christ " is
able to save to the uttermost all who come unto God by him,"
we need not fear, but that if we go to him, he will receive us ;
and if we trust in him, he will glorify himself in our salvation.
Attempt not then to hide from your own eyes the extremity of
your guilt ; nor, when it is revealed to you, indulge any
desponding fears: but flee unto Christ, and lay hold on him,
and cleave to him, and determine, that, if you perish, you will
perish at the foot of his cross, trusting in his blood, and plead
ing with him that promise, "Whosoever cometh unto me I
will in no wise cast out."]
3. Those who are enabled to form a just estimate
of their state—
[These persons are a perfect mystery to all around them.
The world sees them humbling themselves as the very chief of
sinners, and yet exulting under a sense of God's pardoning
love : and how to reconcile this they know not. ' If,' say
they, ' you are so vile, how can you rejoice ? and, if you have
such cause for joy, how is it that you yet sigh, and mourn, and
weep, as if you were the vilest of mankind?' But it is this
union of humility and confidence which characterizes the true
Christian : and, the more eminent the Christian is, the more
do both these graces flourish in his soul. Thus then, brethren,
let it be with you : affix no limits to your self-abasement ; for
it is not possible for you ever to have too humiliating thoughts
of yourselves : yet, on the other hand, let there be no limits
to your confidence in Christ, as able, and willing to save the
very chief of sinners. Yet, at the same time, do not imagine,
that, because you are vile in yourselves, you are at liberty to
indulge in sin ; or because " in Christ you are complete," you
are not under any necessity of practising universal holiness :
these would be fatal errors indeed : were any such licence
given you, " Christ would be a minister of sin." But this is
far from being the case. It is true, that you are justified by
GALATIANS, VI. 7, 8. [2089.
faith alone : but by your works will you be judged : and
the measure of your works will be the certain measure of
your reward.]
MMLXXXIX.
THE GROUND OF GOD'S FINAL DECISION.
Gal. vi. 7, 8. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for what
soever a man soivcth, that shall he also reap. For he that
soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption ; but he
that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life ever
lasting.
SIN and misery are often found to be nearly con
nected in this life ; yet rewards and punishments are
not always distributed according to man's actions.
The necessity therefore of a future state of retribution
is obvious and undeniable. This was discoverable in
a measure by the light of reason ; but revelation
establishes the certainty of such a state. The inspired
writers often urge the consideration of it as a motive
to virtue. St. Paul is stating to the Galatians the
duty of providing liberally for their pastors. He is
aware that some might offer pleas and excuses for
their neglect of this duty. He knew that some might
even pretend a prior and more sacred obligation a.
He therefore cautions them against self-deception,
and reminds them that God will hereafter pass sen
tence on us according to the real quality of our
actions.
I. It is in vain to hope for salvation while we live in
a neglect of religious duties-
It is common for men to offer pleas and excuses
for their disregard of religion :
1. That a life of religion is needless—
[They see the world in a state of wickedness. They
cannot believe that so many can be in danger of perishing.
They forget that the course of this world is just such as Satan
would have itb. They recollect not our Lord's declaration
a Mark vii. 11. b Eph. ii. 2.
2089.] THE GROUND OF GOD'S FINAL DECISION. #55
respecting the broad and narrow wayc. They consider not that
the care of the soul is the " one thing needful."]
2. That a life of religion is impracticable—
[They hear what holiness of heart and life God requires
of us. They feel how unable they are of themselves to fulfil
their duty. They therefore conclude, that it is impossible to
serve God aright. At least they think that a religious life
cannot consist with social duties. But they forget that the
grace of Christ is all-sufficient d: nor are they aware that that
grace will stimulate us to every duty, whether civil or religious,
social or personal.]
Besides these, they substitute other things in the
place of religion :
1. Their good intentions —
[They purpose to amend their lives at some future period.
They expect to find some " more convenient season " for
repentance. They hope that their good designs, though never
executed, will be accepted.]
2. Their moral lives —
[They are guilty of no very enormous crimes. They per
form many commendable actions. They hope that such a
life, though they know nothing of contrition, of faith in
Christ, of delight in God, &c. will procure them admission to
heaven.]
3. Their profession of certain truths —
[Many receive the doctrines of Christianity as a system
of truth. They trust to the mere profession of these doctrines
without experiencing their transforming efficacy. Thus they
substitute " the form of godliness for the power of it."]
But no pleas or pretences can deceive God—
[To attempt to deceive God is, in fact, to " mock " him.
It is to insult him, as though he were too ignorant to discern,
too indifferent to regard, or too weak to punish, hypocrisy.
But God cannot be deceived ; nor will he be mocked.]
Let none then deceive themselves with vain expec
tations.
II. Our final state will be exactly answerable to our
present conduct —
Under the metaphor of a sower the text affords a
striking discrimination of character :
d Phil. iv. 13.
256 GALATIANS, VI. 7, 8. [2089.
Some " sow to the flesh"—
[To sow to the flesh, is to seek in the first place our carnal
ease and interests. This we may do notwithstanding we are
free from gross sins. Every one comes under this description
who " sets his affections on things below."]
They whose life is so occupied will " reap cor
ruption "-
[The present enjoyments they will have are both corrup
tible and defiling. The future recompence will be everlasting
destruction6. This is elsewhere affirmed in the plainest
terms f.]
Others " sow to the Spirit"—
[The Holy Spirit invariably inclines men to the love of
God, and of holiness. The new nature of the regenerate
affects also spiritual objects and employments. To sow to the
Spirit therefore is to seek and delight in spiritual things.]
They who do this will reap everlasting life—
[A life of devotedness to God can never issue in misery.
God has promised that it shall terminate in glory5.]
Thus, not our pleas and pretences, but our life and
conduct, will determine our eternal state—
[Our harvest will accord with the seed we sow. These
different ends are inseparable from the different means11. The
punishment, however, will be as wages earned ; the reward as
a gift bestowed1.]
INFER—
1. What extreme folly is it to live regardless of
God and our own souls !
[No husbandman expects to reap wheat, when he has sown
only tares. How absurd then to hope for heaven while we
seek not after it ! Let us be convinced of our folly, and learn
wisdom even from the children of this world.]
2. How absurd would it be to be diverted from
our duty by any difficulties we may meet with in the
discharge of it !
[The husbandman does not regard inclemencies of wea
ther, much less would he be deterred from his work by the
e This is evidently the import of corruption in this place ; because
it is opposed to everlasting life. It implies that state of soul which
most corresponds with the corruption of the body.
f Rom. viii. 13. e Rom. vi. 22. and viii. 13.
h Rom. ii. (5—10. J Rom. vi. 23.
2090.] STEDFASTNESS IN DUTIES. 257
advice or ridicule of the ignorant and supine. Shall ive then
be discouraged, whose seed-time is so precarious, and whose
harvest is so important? Let all go forward, "sowing in
tears that they may reap in joy."]
MMXC.
STEADFASTNESS IN DUTIES.
Gal. vi. 9. Let us not be weary in well-doing : for in due
season we shall reap, if we faint not.
THE way of duty is difficult, while that of sin is
easya. After we have received grace, we are still
prone to depart from God ; but the prospect of an
happy issue of our labours is a strong support. The
Gospel encourages us to expect a certain and season
able recompence.
We have here,
I. A word of caution-
Well-doing respects every part of a Christian's duty.
We may apprehend ourselves weary in it, when we
are not really so. We are not necessarily so, because
our affections are not so lively as they once were —
[Age and infirmity may occasion a stupor of the mind:
a more enlarged view of our own depravity may cast us down.
Love itself may grow in some . respects, even while its ardour
seems to abate b.]
We are not necessarily so, because our corruptions
appear to have increased —
[When we are first awakened, we know but little of our
own hearts. As we proceed, the Lord discovers to us more of
our hidden abominations0. The discovery of them, as of
objects in a dark place, argues only more light from heaven.]
We are not necessarily so, because we do not find
enlargement in prayer—
a A learned prelate speaks admirably to this purpose : — " Vice is
first pleasing ; then easy ; then delightful ; then frequent ; then
habitual ; then confirmed : then the man is impenitent ; then he is
obstinate ; then he resolves never to repent ; and then he is damned."
Jer. Taylor's Serm. p. 260.
b Phil. i. 9. c This may be illustrated by Ezek. viii. 6, 13, 15.
VOL. XVII. S
GALATIANS, VI. 9. [2090.
[Excess of trouble may, for a time, distract and over
whelm the soul. Our Lord himself seems to have experienced
somewhat of thisd. Our prayers, perhaps-, are never more
acceptable, than when they are offered in broken accents, in
sighs, and groans6.]
But we have reason to apprehend that we are
weary in well-doing,
1. When we do not make a progress in our reli
gious course —
[We cannot stand still in religion : we must advance or
decline. There are seasons when we grow rather in humility
than in the more lively graces ; but if we neither shoot our
branches upward, nor our roots downward, it must be ill
with usf.]
2. When we are habitually formal in religious
duties—
[The best of men find cause to lament an occasional
deadness ; but no true Christian can be satisfied in such a
state g. Habitual formality therefore proves, either that we
have never been truly in earnest, or that we are in a state of
miserable declension11.]
3. When we do not carry religion into our worldly
business —
[As long as we are in the world, we must perform the
duties of our station ; but if our souls be prospering, we shall
maintain a sense of religion even when we are not actually
engaged in the offices of it1.]
4. When our consciences are not tender —
[It is essential to a Christian to hateevilk: he strives to
" avoid even the appearance of evil." He will in no wise allow
one sinful temper or inclination1.]
We cannot be too much on our guard against such
a state.
To confirm what has been spoken, let me add,
II. A word of encouragement—
a John xii. 27. e Rom. viii. 26.
f 2 Pet. iii. 18. Heb. vi. 7, 8.
s Nine times in the 119th Psalm does David cry, " Quicken me,
O Lord"—
h Phil. iii. 8. ' Prov. xxiii. 17.
k Rom. xii. 9. ' Acts xxiv. 16.
2091.] THE CROSS OF CHRIST. 259
If we persevere in our exertions, we shall reap the
fruit of our labour—
[There will be a harvest to all who labour in God's field.
It may not, come so soon as we would desire ; but it shall come,
as the earthly harvests, " in due season." We must, how
ever, wait God's appointed time. If we faint, we shall lose all
that we have before wrought™: but if we continue patiently in
well-doing, we shall succeed at last11.]
Our prospects of the harvest may well ENCOURAGE us
to persevere, since it will be,
1. Certain —
[The husbandman endures many toils for an uncertain
harvest : his hopes may be blasted in a variety of ways. But
God has pledged himself, that his faithful servants shall be
rewarded0: nor shall either men or devils prevent the accom
plishment of his promise p.]
2. Glorious —
[What are all the harvests that ever were gathered since
the creation of the world, in comparison of that which the
Christian will reap? Shall we faint then with such a prospect
in view ?]
3. Everlasting —
[However abundant our harvests here may be, we must
renew the same process, in order to supply our returning
wants : but when once we have reaped the heavenly harvest,
we shall " rest from our labours" for evermore. If then a
year of toil be considered as compensated by a transient
supply, shall not an eternity of happiness be thought worth
our care, during the short period of human life? Do any,
that are now in glory, regret the pains they bestowed to get
there? Let us "be followers of them," and we shall soon
participate their bliss q.]
m 2 John, ver. 8. Heb. x. 38. n Rom. ii. 7.
0 Heb. vi. 10. P Prov. xi. 18. <i Heb. vi. 12.
MMXCI.
THE CROSS OF CHRIST.
Gal. vi. 14. God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross
of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified
unto me, and I unto the world.
THE Christian, in whatever he does, is charac
terized by singleness of eye and simplicity of mind.
260 GALATIANS, VI. 14. [2091.
All others, even when they appear most zealous for
God, have sinister and selfish ends in view. This
may be seen in the Judaizing teachers, whilst they
were insisting on the observance of circumcision and
the Jewish ritual. They wished to have it thought
that they were actuated only by a conscientious sense
of duty to Moses, and to God : but there were other
secret motives by which they were impelled : they
were themselves preachers of the Gospel ; but know
ing how obnoxious both to Jews and Gentiles the
simple preaching of the cross was, whilst the blending
of certain observances with it was palatable to every
mind, they sought to avoid the persecution which
they knew that a simple exhibition of Christ crucified
would bring upon them. They had an eye also to
their own glory : for they affected to be leaders of a
party in the Church, and laboured to exalt them
selves by augmenting the number of their followers.
That they were not actuated by a real desire to
approve themselves to God, was evident from hence,
that they, notwithstanding all their endeavours to
enforce the observance of the law on others, did not
keep the law themselves. But all such corrupt prac
tices St. Paul abhorred ; and, whilst he disdained
to seek his own glory, he was proof against the fear
of man, and laboured only to advance the glory of
his Divine Master, and the salvation of those to whom
he ministered : " They" says he, " who constrain
you to be circumcised, desire to make a fair shew in
the flesh :" " but God forbid that I should glory,
save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by
whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto
the world ! "
In this commendation of the cross of Christ, we
behold,
I. His views of its excellency —
By " the cross of Christ," is here meant the doc
trine of salvation through a crucified Redeemer.
This he preached, and it was the great subject of all
his ministrations. Though it was " to the Jews a
2091.] THE CROSS OF CHRIST. 261
stumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness," yet
he would " know nothing elsea," and " glory in
nothing else." He gloried in it,
1. As displaying such wonders of love and mercy
to the world at large —
[Here was a plan of salvation suited to, and sufficient for,
the necessities of the whole world. All were involved in one
common ruin : all needed an atonement to be offered for their
sins : the whole universe could not present one capable of
expiating their guilt; the highest archangel was as incom
petent to it as was the blood of bulls and goats. But God, of
his infinite mercy, had devised a way: he had entered into
covenant with his only-begotten Son: he had agreed with
him, that, if HE wrould assume our nature, and " make his
soul an offering for sin," his sacrifice should be accepted in
their behalf, and he should have from amongst the fallen race
of Adam a seed, who should serve him, and enjoy him for
everb. This stupendous plan has been executed : the Lord
Jesus Christ has " been made in the likeness of men, and has
become obedient unto death, even the death of the cross:"
and, having " borne our sins in his own body on the tree,"
and been exalted to the right hand of God as the Head and
Forerunner of his people, he now offers salvation unto all
freely, " without money and without price." The persons
sent out and commissioned by him to preach his Gospel, are
empowered to declare, that " God was in Christ reconciling
the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto
them6." To every living man is this message sent, with a full
assurance, that " they who believe in Christ shall never perish,
but shall have eternal lifed."
Now in this wonderful mystery St. Paul saw such honour
reflected on all the Divine perfections, and such blessedness
secured to man, that he could not but glory in it, and deter
mine never to glory in any thing else.]
2. As making such ample provision for his own
soul—
[St. Paul felt himself to be the very " chief of sinners,"
and deserving of God's heaviest indignation. But this Saviour
had revealed himself to him, even in the midst of all his
wickedness ; and by a signal act of grace had not only par
doned his sins, but had appointed him to preach to others that
salvation, of which he was so remarkable a monument. By the
manifestation of Christ to his soul, he was assured of mercy
and acceptance with God. From that moment he no more
a 1 Cor. ii. 2. b Isai, liii. 10. c 2 Cor. v. 19. d John iii. 16.
GALATIANS, VI. 14 [2091.
doubted of his own salvation, than he did of his existence :
and the blessing which was thus imparted to him, he had been
the means of imparting unto others, even to hundreds and
thousands of the Gentile world. Could he then be insensible
of the value of that which had filled his own soul with such
peace and joy, and which, through his ministrations, had
diffused such unspeakable blessings all around him? No: he
could not but commend to others what had been so effectual
for his own benefit, and glory in the cross as " all his salvation,
and all his desire."]
As an especial reason for glorying in the cross, he
mentions,,
II. His experience of its power—
The words " by whom? should rather be trans
lated, " by which ;" for it is to the doctrine of the cross
as received into his soul, and not to Christ's personal
agency upon his soul, that he traced the effects
produced.
The world was in the Apostle's eyes as an object
that was crucified ; himself also being as one cruci
fied in respect of it—
[The image here used is very remarkable, and deserving
of particular attention, " The world was crucified to him."
A person dying upon a cross, how dear so ever he may have
been to us, is no longer an object of desire. As soon as he
lias surrendered up his life, if his body be given to us, we bury
it out of our sight. We no longer look to him for any of those
comforts which are derived from social intercourse : all rela
tion to him, all dependence on him, all satisfaction in him, are
dissolved : every tie that once bound us together is broken,
and " we know him no more." The Apostle further adds,
that " he also was crucified to the world." This does not
mean, that the world despised him, and wished him buried
out of its sight (that was indeed true; but it is not the truth
that is here intimated) : the expression imports, that, whilst
the world was as a crucified object in his eyes, he beheld every
thing in it as a man would do who was himself dying on a
cross. He may have loved the world in ever so high a de
gree ; but he now loves it no more. He may have sought its
pleasures, its riches, and its honours, with the most insatiable
ardour ; but he has now no desire after any thing that is in it.
He feels himself dying; and he has now no wish but to im
prove his few remaining moments, for his own benefit, and the
benefit of those around him. Take the penitent thief as an
example. If crowns and kingdoms could have been given him
2091.] THE CROSS OF CHRIST. 263
for the few remaining hours that he had to live, they would
have been of no value whatever in his eyes.
Now thus the Apostle looked upon the world and every
thing- in it. There was nothing in it that he desired : " the
lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life,"
were all lighter than vanity, in his estimation : he had now no
longer any taste for them : he felt that, whether his life was of
longer or shorter continuance, he had nothing to do, but to
honour God, and benefit his fellow-creatures, as far as he
should have opportunity, and seek the salvation of his own
soul. All that the world could either give or take away, was
" counted by him as dung, that he might win Christ, and be
found in him."]
And whence was it that he attained such extra
ordinary deadness to the world ?
[This holy feeling was wrought in him altogether by the
cross of Christ ; which brought such glories to his view, as
eclipsed all sublunary good ; and filled his soul with such joys
as rendered all earthly satisfactions worthless and distaste
ful as the husks of swine. This it was which raised him above
those vain hopes with which the Judaizing teachers were
animated, and above those unworthy fears with which their
fidelity to God was assailed. A sense of " love to his Re
deemer constrained him ;" and, when menaced with all that
the world could inflict, he could say, " None of these things
move me, neither count I my life dear unto me, so that I may
but finish my course with joy, and fulfil the ministry com
mitted to me." Nor was this a vain boast : his whole life
testified, that it was his actual experience ; and that the doc
trine which formed the only basis of his hopes, had a trans
forming effect, such as no other principles under heaven could
produce.]
But we must not suppose this state of mind to be
peculiar to the Apostle : it is produced invariably
by the cross of Christ,, wherever it is surveyed and
gloried in as it ought to be. We may SEE therefore
from hence,
1. How sublime are the Christian's views !
[The cross of Christ is that, and that alone, in which
every Christian under heaven will glory. The very words of
our text afford the best comment on that description which
the Apostle gives of the cross of Christ, when he calls it, " The
wisdom of God, and the power of God." So unfathomable
are the counsels of Divine Wisdom contained in it, that all the
angels of heaven are searching into it, with a thirst that is insa
tiable : and such is its efficacy, that nothing can withstand its
264 GALATIANS, VI. 14. [2091.
influence. By this then, you, my brethren, may judge whether
you be Christians in deed and in truth, or whether ye be such
in name only. A nominal Christian is contented with approv
ing of the way of salvation by a crucified Redeemer : the true
Christian loves it, delights in it, glories in it, and shudders at
the thought of glorying in any thing else. Say, brethren, are
such your views, and such your feelings ? Do you see how
base and unworthy it would be to glory in any thing else ?
Does your spirit rise with indignation at the thought of so
requiting your adorable Redeemer ? Be assured, it will be
thus with you, if your hearts are truly enlightened, and if you
have " learned of the Father as the truth is in Jesus."]
2. How heavenly his life !
[He is in the world ; but " he is not of it : he has over
come the world ; and this is the victory by which he has
overcome it, even his faith." " His treasure is in heaven ;"
and " his conversation is there also." Behold him, and you
will see " a man of God;" a man " born from above ;" a man
"filled with the Holy Ghost;" a man "walking as Christ
himself walked." In Christ you see the figure which is used
in our text completely illustrated. " He had not even where
to lay his head ;" yet, " when the people would have taken
him, to make him a king, he withdrew, and hid himself from
them." In the primitive Christians, too, you see the same
spirit : for " they were not of the world, even as Christ was
not of the world." Aspire ye then, beloved, after this high
and holy attainment. Walk ye in a holy indifference to the
world : shew yourselves superior to all the things of time and
sense. " Set your affections on things above, and not on
things on the earth." Let all your joys flow from the con
templation of his cross. Thus shall you " dwell in God, and
God in you :" you shall be " one with God, and God with
you :" and the very instant that the ties between the world
and you shall be finally dissolved by death, you shall soar as
on eagles' wings, to take possession of the crowns and king
doms that await you in a better world.]
EPHESIANS.
MMXCII.
THANKS TO GOD FOR HIS SOVEREIGN GRACE AND MERCY.
Eph. i. 3 — 12. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings
in heavenly places in Christ : according as he hath chosen
us in him before the foundation of the world, that ive should
be holy and without blame before him in love : having pre
destinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ
to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the
praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us
accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption
through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the
riches of his grace ; wherein he hath abounded toward us
in all wisdom and prudence ; having made known unto us the
mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which
he hath purposed in himself: that in the dispensation of the
fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in
Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth ;
even in him : in whom also tve have obtained an inheritance,
being predestinated according to the purpose of him who
ivorheth all things after the counsel of his own will : that
we should be to the praise of his glory, ivho first trusted
in Christ.
IN our progress through the Holy Scriptures, we
are necessitated to investigate, in its turn, every doc
trine of our holy religion. There are indeed some
doctrines which appear to be almost wholly pro
scribed : but we do not conceive ourselves at liberty
to pass over any part of the sacred records as im
proper for discussion, provided we enter into it with
266 EPHESIANS, I. 3—12. [2092.
the humility and modesty that become us. It is
undeniable that the Apostles mention occasionally,
and without the smallest appearance of hesitation,
the doctrines of predestination and election : and
therefore we are bound to explore the meaning of
the inspired writers in reference to these passages, as
well as to any others. We are aware that great diffi
culties attend the explanation of these doctrines;
(though certainly not greater than attend the denial
of them :) and we are aware also, that they are
open to abuse : but there is no doctrine which has
not its difficulties ; nor any which has not been
abused : and, that we may not be supposed to enter
tain an undue partiality for these obnoxious tenets,
or to wish to establish them on inadequate grounds,
we have selected a large portion of Scripture which
cannot easily be perverted ; and which is indeed so
plain, that it speaks for itself. We shall be careful
also to bring them forward precisely in the way in
which they are declared by the Apostles themselves,
that is, not in a speculative and controversial way,
but in a practical manner, as incentives to holy gra
titude and obedience.
St. Paul, under a deep sense of the mercies vouch
safed to himself and to the whole Church at Ephesus,
breaks forth into the devoutest acknowledgments to
that God from whom they had flowed, and to whom
all possible thanks and praise were due.
In considering his words, we shall shew,
I. What are those blessings which we have received
from our God—
" He hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings" —
[The Ephesian Church, though chiefly composed of Gen
tiles, consisted in part of Jews alsoa. And, though it is pos
sible there might be some hypocrites there, as well as in other
Churches, St. Paul does not stop to make distinctions of that
kind, but speaks of them all in the judgment of charity, as real
a Acts xviii. 19, 20, 24, 28. with ver. 11, 12, 13. of our text,
where the distinction is made between " we" Jews " who first trusted
in Christ," and " ye" Gentiles who believed afterwards. See also
Gal. ii. 16—18.
2092.] THANKS FOR GOD's GRACE AND MERCY. 267
Christians, and partakers of all the blessings which by their
profession they were supposed to possess. As believers, they
had been blessed with " spiritual blessings in heavenly things b,"
widely different from those which were possessed by any " na
tural man," and from those which the earthly and carnal Jews
expected their Messiah to bestow. Of these, some of the
principal are here enumerated.
God has adopted us into his family — dealt with us as chil
dren — and given to us the inheritance of children.
Once the believer was " afar off" from God, being an " alien
from the commonwealth of Israel, a stranger from the cove
nants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the
world :" but by an act of rich mercy and grace he has been
adopted by God, and made to stand in the relation to him of
a child to a father. Though he neither has any thing, nor
ever can have any thing, that can recommend him to God, yet
" is he accepted" to the Divine favour, having all his past
iniquities " forgiven," and his soul washed from all its stains,
in " the Redeemer's blood." Being thus brought into the
nearest relation to God, he is treated, " not as a servant, who
knows not what his lord doeth ; but as a son," who may fitly
be made acquainted with all his Father's will. To him is that
stupendous mystery made known, that, in the time appointed
of the Father, the whole intelligent creation of men and angels,
who were once of one family, but were separated by the fall of
man, shall be brought once more under the same Head, the
Lord Jesus Christ, who at first created them, and to whom
originally they paid all due allegiance. As to men, there
should be no difference between them in this respect : the
common Father of all would equally receive all, whether Jews
or Gentiles, and incorporate them all into one body, who should
equally and without any distinction be partakers of his grace,
and heirs of his glory. For all of them without exception, pro
vided only they believe in him, he has provided an inheritance,
to which, on the instant that they believe in him, they become
entitled, and which, after the period fixed for their abode on
earth, they shall possess to all eternity.]
These spiritual blessings are given to us " in
Christ "-
[All of them without exception are the purchase of his
blood, the fruit of his intercession, and the gifts of his grace.
They are all treasured up in him ; and when He is given to
us, they are made over to us, as the ore in the mine. They
were all given to Him, in the first instance, as our head and
representative, and can be possessed by us only as we are
b See the margin.
268 EPHESIANS, I. 3—12. [2092.
found in him. Are we chosen? it is " in him." Are we pre
destinated to the adoption of children ? it is " in him." Are
we accepted ? it is " in him." Are we forgiven ? it is " in
him." Are we brought into one body? it is " in him." Have
we obtained an inheritance ? it is " in him." Are we " sealed
with the Holy Spirit of promise, as the earnest of that inherit
ance?" it is "in him." Are we blessed with all spiritual
blessings ? it is " in him," and in him alone. O that we were
more sensible of our obligations to Christ in reference to these
things ! Is it not surprising, that any one can read the passage
before us, and overlook Christ, who throughout the whole of it
is represented as the "All in all?" Let this be borne in
mind ; that, whilst all is traced to the Father as the original
source, all must be referred to Christ as the procuring cause,
and be received from Christ as the fountain-head : and it is
only by receiving Christ himself that we can ever partake of
any one of his benefits.]
Having noticed the benefits given to us in Christ,
we proceed to shew,
II. In what way he has communicated them to us —
On this depends, in a great measure, the debt of
gratitude we owe him. If in the bestowment of
them he has been forestalled by earnest solicitations
on our part, and been prevailed upon only by the
great and meritorious services which we have ren
dered to him,, then, though we have reason to bless
him, we have also reason to bless ourselves, and may
justly claim for ourselves some part of the honour of
our own salvation. But he has communicated these
blessings to us,
1. In a way of sovereignty—
[He is a Sovereign ; and it is only of his own will and
pleasure that he has formed any creature whatsoever. We feel
his sovereignty in this respect. Let any man ask himself,
' Why was I created at all? Why formed a man, and not a
beast ? Why was I born of Christian, and not of heathen,
parents ? Why under the meridian splendour of Gospel light,
and not in the darker ages of the Church ? Why was I pre
served in life, whilst millions have closed their eyes upon this
world as soon as they were brought into it? Why was I en
dued with intelligence, whilst so many are in a state of idiotcy,
and devoid of reason ?' To all such questions there is but one
answer ; " Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight."
And this is the true answer that must be given to all inquiries
2092.] THANKS FOR GOD's GRACE AND MERCY. 269
respecting the spiritual blessings which he has bestowed upon
us : they are all the fruit of his free and sovereign grace :
" He has chosen us from before the foundation of the world,"
and " predestinated us to the enjoyment of them." He has
done this purely " of his own will and pleasure :" and in doing
it, he has consulted nothing but his own glory : it has been
" according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of
the glory of his grace0." Yet, whilst his predestination of us
is the result of " his good pleasure which he has purposed in
himself," and can be referred to nothing but " his own purpose
and grace," we are not to imagine that he is actuated by a
mere arbitrary volition ; for it is a volition founded in " coun
sel d," though the reasons by which he is actuated are unknown
to us. Were this doctrine dependent only on a single expres
sion, we should speak of it with the more diffidence: but, in
the passage before us, it is as the warp, which pervades the
whole piece : it cannot, like the woof, be separated, and made
to give way to some more palatable sentiment : it is impossible
for any man to read the passage with an unprejudiced mind,
and not to acknowledge, that this is its obvious import; and
that nothing but the most determined efforts of ingenious and
laboured criticism can extract from it any other meaning.]
2. In a way of holiness —
[One ground on which many object to the doctrines of
election and predestination is, that these doctrines are hostile
to the interests of morality. But for such an objection there
is no real foundation. On the contrary, they are the greatest
security of a life of holiness, seeing that they have insured to
us the attainment of holiness as a preparation for the ultimate
possession of glory. God, we are told, has " chosen us :" but
to what has he chosen us ? to salvation independent of holi
ness ? No ; but to salvation in the way of holiness : He has
chosen us, " that we should be holy, and without blame before
him in love." Here it deserves particular attention, that God
has not chosen us because we were holy, or because he foresaw
we should become holyj but in order that we might be holy : he
has chosen us to holiness as the means, as well as to glory as
the end. He has ordained both the means and the end ; and
the end solely by the means. Hence, wherever election and
predestination are spoken of, they are spoken of in this view,
as having respect to holiness, and as assuring to us the attain
ment of holiness : God has chosen us " through sanctification
of the Spirit, as well as through the belief of the truth6," and
has "predestinated us to be conformed to the image of his
Sonf."
c ver. 5, G. d ver. 9, 11. with 2 Tim. i. 9.
e 2 Thess. ii. 13. 1 Pet. i. 2. f Rom. viii. 29.
270 EPHESIANS, I. 3—12. [2092.
Let this be duly considered, and it will remove the greatest
obstruction in our minds to the reception of these deep mys
terious truths. "When once we see, that they secure infallibly
the attainment of holiness in the way to glory, and that no man
is entitled to think himself one of God's elect, any farther than
the holiness of his life bears testimony to him, we shall soon
renounce our prejudices, and willingly concede to sovereign
grace the whole glory of our salvation.]
3. In a way of wisdom and prudence—
[Truly this great salvation is the most stupendous effort
both of wisdom and prudence ; of wisdom, in its contrivance,
and of prudence, in its administration. How wonderfully does
it mark God's indignation against sin, even at the moment that
it extends mercy to the sinner ; since it shews the sinner, and
constrains him to acknowledge, that, if the wrath due to him
had not been borne by his Surety, he never could have been
saved at all. It shews him farther, that in this way of salva
tion through the sacrifice of the Son of God, all the Divine
perfections are glorified ; insomuch that, whilst the claims of
justice and mercy appear to oppose each other, they so har
monize together, that justice is exercised in a way of mercy,
and mercy in a way of justice. Further, in this way of salva
tion the soul of the believer is so penetrated with wonder and
with love, that he cannot but yield himself up unreservedly to
God, and count a thousand lives too little to consecrate to his
service, or to sacrifice for his glory. Nor is there less of pru
dence in the administration of it, than there is of wisdom in its
contrivance : for, notwithstanding it is dispensed in a sovereign
way altogether according to God's good pleasure, he never
interferes with the liberty of the human will, nor ever draws
any one but by " the cords of a man." It is by presenting
truth to the mind, and motives to the heart, that he overcomes
men, and "makes them willing in the day of his power." In
finitely various are the ways in which he dispenses his blessings :
and even at this time his people are able to see most unsearch
able wisdom in the way in which he has dealt with them, so
as to make them see in the clearest light the extent of their
obligations to him, and to furnish them with songs of praise,
which each is ready to think he shall sing the loudest of any
in the kingdom of heaven. Moreover, so infallible are the
means he uses, that he never failed in any one instance to
accomplish in any soul the purposes of his grace, or to carry on
and perfect the work he had begun. Well then may it be said,
in reference to " the riches of his grace" which he has dis
pensed to us, that " he hath abounded towards us in all wisdom
and prudence."]
2092.] THANKS FOR GOD's GRACE AND MERCY. 271
ADDRESS —
1. Those who are not able to receive these myste
rious truths —
[We are far from thinking that the doctrines of election
and predestination are of primary and fundamental importance.
We well know that many eminently pious persons have not
been able to receive them : and we have no doubt but that a
person may serve God most acceptably, though he should not
have an insight into these mysterious truths, We only ask,
that you will be content to wave them for the present, and not
set yourselves against them, as too many are apt to do. If
you have not a preparation of mind for the reception of them,
you will only perplex yourselves by dwelling upon them, and give
advantage to Satan to distress your minds. Be content to re
ceive for the present the fundamental doctrines of repentance
towards God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ; and seek to
experience them in their full extent. Contemplate the bless
ings with which God the Father hath blessed you through the
mediation of his Son ; and ever bear in mind, that you are
indebted for them all to the Father, as the original source of
all ; to the Son, as procuring them for you by the virtue of
his death ; and to the Holy Spirit, as the great agent by whom
they are communicated to your souls. Enjoy them in this
view, and bless God for them in this view, and " what else
you know not now, you shall know hereafter."]
2. Those who have embraced them, and found
delight in them —
[Enjoy them for yourselves ; but do not unnecessarily
obtrude them upon others. Give milk to babes, and strong
meat to those only who are of age to digest it. Be careful too
that you do not in any respect abuse them, as the habit of too
many is. The decrees of God do not supersede the necessity
of fear and watchfulness on your part. The hour that you
begin to relax your diligence, from an idea that God will carry
on his work in you at all events, you provoke God to abandon
you to yourselves, and to give you up to the delusions of your
own hearts. It is by your lives only that you can know your
election of Godg: and if you are not making advancement in
holiness, you have no reason whatever to hope that you shall
ever attain to glory ; seeing it is by the means only that you
can ever attain the end. If you would make a legitimate im
provement of these doctrines, use them as means of exciting
the deeper gratitude to God. Trace up to God's electing love
and predestinating grace every blessing you either enjoy or
g 1 Thess. i. 3, 4.
272 EPHESIANS, I. 7, 8. [2093.
hope for : and get your hearts more in unison with that of the
Apostle, when he burst forth into that song of praise, " Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath
blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ ! " Then shall
you find that these truths, which are a stumbling-block to
many, shall to you be as marrow and fatness to your souls.]
MMXCIII.
THE WISDOM OF GOD IN REDEMPTION.
Eph. i. 7, 8. In ivhom we have redemption through his blood,
the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace ;
wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and
prudence.
IN no part of the inspired volume are the wonders
of redemption more fully opened, than in the passage
before us. The pardon of sin, adoption into God's
family, and a participation of eternal glory, are all
distinctly specified as blessings which under the
Gospel we enjoy : and all are traced to Christ as
the procuring cause, and to the Father as the prime
source, from the riches cf whose grace they flow,
and to the praise of whose glory they are all or
dained - - But as the subject would be endless
if we entered into it in this general view, we shall
limit our observations to the words which we have
just read, and notice from them,
I. The substance of the Gospel —
" In Christ we have redemption through his blood,
the forgiveness of sins." Here notice,
1. What is implied in this declaration-
fit is here supposed that we are in a state of bondage to
sin and Satan, and under guilt and condemnation on account of
sin. And this but too justly describes the condition of every
child of man. We are in a state of bondage to sin and
Satan — And we are under guilt and condemnation on
account of sin — - We cannot more truly mark the state
of man, than by comparing it with that of the fallen angels.
They fell ; and for their sins were cast out of heaven, and con
signed over to merited punishment in hell, where they are
" reserved in chains of darkness unto the judgment of the
2093. J THE WISDOM OF GOD IN REDEMPTION. 273
great day." The difference between them and us is this : they
are actually suffering the punishment of their sins ; we are
respited for a season : they are irremediably doomed to per
dition ; for us a remedy is provided, so that we may yet have
redemption and forgiveness, if we seek it in God's appointed
way.
Labour, I pray you, to realize this idea in your minds : for
it is only by apprehending justly your condition without the
Gospel, that you can be prepared for a participation of its
blessings.]
2. What is expressed —
[" Redemption " is provided for us, and " forgiveness " is
offered to us, through our Lord Jesus Christ, and " through
the blood" of his cross. The Lord Jesus Christ has, by
his own obedience unto death, " obtained eternal redemp
tion for us," having suffered in his own person all that
was due to our sins, and having so fulfilled the law in our
stead, as to bring in an everlasting righteousness, whereby we
may be justified. In Him are these blessings treasured up
for us, and " out of his fulness may be received by us." By
believing in him, we become interested in all that he has done
and suffered for us, and attain the actual possession of the
blessings he has purchased for us —
This is, in few words, the sum and substance of the Gospel ;
as St. John has plainly told us; "This is the record, (the
Gospel record,) that God hath given to us eternal life ; and
this life is in his Son : he that hath the Son, hath life ; and he
that hath not the Son of God, hath not lifea."]
The point to which we would more particularly
turn your attention, is,
II. The character of the Gospel —
It is a dispensation,
1. "Rich in grace "-
[All " the glorious riches of God's grace " are here dis
played. Consider the means by which this redemption is
procured ; even by the incarnation and death of God's only-
begotten Son Consider the persons for whom it is
provided : not for angels, (they are left to reap for ever the
bitter consequences of their sin;) but for men, who were an
order of beings far inferior to them— Consider how it
is that any become interested in this redemption : it is in con
sequence of their having been from all eternity elected and
a 1 John v. 11, 12.
VOL. XVII. T
274 EPHESIANS, I. 7, 8. [2093.
predestinated to it by the sovereign and unmerited grace of
God— —From first to last it is all of grace; and designed
of God to exhibit to the whole universe, through all ages,
" the exceeding riches of his grace V Let any one compare
the state of the fallen angels in the lake of fire, and of the
redeemed saints that are around the throne of God, and view
the wonders of grace which have been wrought in favour of
the redeemed ; and then he will be able in some measure to
comprehend the character of the Gospel, as a dispensation of
grace.]
2. " Abundant in wisdom and prudence "-
[In order to render the salvation of man consistent with
the perfections of the Deity, justice must be satisfied, and
truth be kept inviolate, by the punishment of sin. But if sin
be punished, how could the sinner be saved ? This was a pro
blem which not all the angels in heaven could solve. But God,
by sending his own Son to be our substitute and surety, has
removed the difficulty. Sin has been punished to the full in
him : and the law, both in its penalties and requirements, has
been fulfilled in him : so that mercy may flow down to us in
perfect consistency both with law and justice ; and " God may
be just, and yet the justifier " of sinful man — - Indeed
the law is the more magnified, in having executed its sentence
against a person of such infinite dignity ; and mercy is the
more exalted, in being exercised at such a cost as the blood of
God's co-equal, co-eternal Son Here is indeed " the
wisdom of God in a mystery :" and well may Christ be called
in this view, " The wisdom of God, and the power of God."]
APPLICATION —
1. Seek to appreciate this blessed Gospel—
[We are grievously negligent in relation to this matter.
Men will labour with indefatigable industry to comprehend
the laws of nature ; but are shamefully remiss in exploring
the mysteries of grace, which are revealed to us in the
Gospel Let your minds be intent on this subject,
which can never be adequately comprehended, either by men
or angels ]
2. Labour to adorn it —
[Let the character of the Gospel be exemplified in you.
Is it full of grace ? Be ye full of praise and thanksgiving ;
ever cleaving to him by whom your redemption has been
wrought, and adoring him by whom the Saviour himself was
sent into the world — And is it full of wisdom ? Do ye
b Eph. ii. 7.
2094.] THE SEALING OF THE SPIRIT. 275
shew how harmoniously every grace may be exercised by you ;
and how perfectly all the attributes of the Deity, as far as they
can be communicated to so frail a creature, may be transferred
to, and illustrated by, his redeemed people ]
MMXCIV.
THE SEALING OF THE SPIRIT.
Eph. 1. 13, 14. In whom also after that ye believed, ye were
sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest
of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased
possession, unto the praise of his glory.
THE blessings which we receive through Christ
are innumerable. Many are mentioned in the pre
ceding part of this chapter. One of the last and
greatest blessings which we receive in this life, is the
sealing of the Holy Spirit. This was vouchsafed to
many of the saints at Ephesus.
We shall shew,
I. What the sealing of the Spirit is —
The metaphor of sealing conveys no inadequate
idea of the Spirit's operations —
[A seal stamps its own image on the wax that is impressed
by it ; and marks the thing sealed to be the property of him
that sealed it : and the Holy Spirit forms all the lineaments of
the Divine image on the soul that is sealed by him ; and shews
that it belongs to God.]
But the text itself affords us the best explanation
of this term —
[The future inheritance of the saints consists in a perfect
conformity to God's image, and a perfect enjoyment of his
love. The sealing of the Spirit is an " earnest of that inherit
ance," or, in other words, a part of that inheritance already
vouchsafed to the soul, and a pledge that the remainder shall
in due time be given to it. This gift of the Spirit is to be
continued to the church till the final consummation of all
things3. The experience of individuals may vary with respect
a The Church is Christ's " purchased possession," Acts xx. 28.
And its complete " redemption" from all the penal effects of sin will
be at the day of judgment, Rom. viii. 23.
T 2
276 EPHESIANS, I. 13, 14. [2094.
to it ; but there shall always be some in the Church who pos
sess and enjoy it.]
We are also informed respecting,
II. The manner in which it is effected —
The agent is none other than the Holy Ghost-
fit is not in man's power to sanctify his own soul : nor
can any one assure himself that he is the Lord's. To impart
these blessings is the prerogative of God alone b.]
The subjects of this work are true believers —
[An unbeliever cannot possibly be sealed ; because the
Holy Spirit would never mark those as God's property, who
do not really belong to him : nor are persons usually sealed
on their first believing in Christ. This higher state of sancti-
fication and assurance is reserved for those, who, " after having
believed," have maintained a close walk with God. They must
first be " in Christ," and then for Christ's sake this benefit
shall be vouchsafed unto them.]
The means by which it is effected, are the pro
mises—
[We do not presume to limit the Spirit's operations ; but
his usual method of sealing is by applying the "promises" to
the soulc. Of themselves, the promises can accomplish no
thing ; but, through his divine power, they have a comforting
and transforming efficacy d.]
The Apostle further specifies,
III. Its proper tendency and operation—
The sealing of the Spirit will never elate a man
with pride-
fit may seem indeed that such distinguishing mercies
would puff us up ; but their invariable effect is to humble
those who receive them. All the saints of old abased them
selves in proportion as they were favoured of Gode. Nor
can there be any stronger evidence that a work is not of God,
than its producing a contrary effect upon us.]
It is intended solely to honour and glorify God—
Every work of grace should lead the mind to God as the
author of it ; and the more exalted the mercy, the more power
ful should this effect be. Now this, above all, administers to
b 2 Cor. i. 21, 22. c 1 Cor. ii. 4. 1 Thess. i. 5.
d 2 Pet. i. 4. c Job xlii. 5, 6. and Tsai. vi. 5.
2095.1 THE SPIRIT'S INFLUENCES. 277
us the greatest cause of thankfulness, and will certainly
incline us to love and serve him from whom it has been
derived.]
ADDRESS —
1. To those who are ignorant of this sublime
subject —
[To many, alas! the sealing of the Spirit is mere foolish
ness ; but those who account it so, " speak evil of things that
they understand not." Let us seek to experience it ourselves,
instead of censuring those who do.]
2. To those who desire to be sealed—
[God is willing to bestow this blessing on all who seek
it. If we possess it not, we should inquire what there is in
us which has occasioned God to withhold it from us. We
should beg of God to take away from us that hardness of heart
which incapacitates us for it, and should live more on the pro
mises, that by them it may be imparted to our souls.]
3. To those who are sealed —
[What a mercy is it, that you, who might long since have
been sealed for condemnation, have, according to the good
pleasure of God, been sealed for heaven ! Be thankful to
God for this unspeakable gift : be careful too that you grieve
not him by whom you have been sealedf; but improve the
promises yet further for your progressive advancement in true
holiness g.]
f Eph. iv. 30. B 2 Cor. vii. 1.
MMXCV.
THE SPIRIT'S INFLUENCES AS A SPIRIT OF WISDOM.
Eph. i. 15 — 20. Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith
in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, cease not to
give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers ;
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the
knowledge of him : the eyes of your understanding being en
lightened ; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling,
and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the
saints, and -what is the exceeding greatness of his power to
us-ward ivho believe, according to the working of his mighty
power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from
the dead.
278 EPHESIANS, I. 15—20. [2095.
WE are told by our blessed Lord, that however
great the pains of parturition may be, a woman re-
membereth no more her anguish, for joy that a child
is born into the world. Yet if the mother, watching
the child from month to month, should see no growth
in his bodily stature, nor any improvement in his
intellectual faculties, her joy would soon be turned
into grief, and she would account the death of the
child a greater blessing than its birth. Somewhat
similar to these are the feelings of a minister towards
those who have been born to God through his minis
trations. Like " the angels in heaven, he rejoices
over every sinner that is brought to repentance :" but
if his subsequent care and labour be attended with
no benefit to his converts, he will feel much pain and
sorrow on their account : he will " travail, as it were,
in birth a second time, till he see Christ completely
formed in them." To see them walking in the truth,
is the one object of his desire, and the summit of his
joya : and it is only when they stand fast in the faith,
that he has a real enjoyment of his lifeb. How full
of complaints was the Apostle Paul, when the people
to whom he had ministered did not make their pro
fiting to appear0. On the contrary, he quite exulted
when he heard of their growth in faith and loved.
But in nothing did he shew his anxiety for their wel
fare more, than in his unwearied intercessions in their
behalf.
The prayer which he offered for the Church at
Ephesus, evinces clearly,
I. That the Spirit, as a Spirit of wisdom and revela
tion, may be obtained by all—
What was sought on behalf of all the Christians at
Ephesus, may certainly be expected by Christians in
every age and place—
1. We need the Spirit as much as they did in the
Apostles' days —
a 3 John, ver. 4. b 1 Thess. iii. 8.
c 1 Cor. iii. 1—3. Gal. iii. 1. and iv. 11, 19, 20. Heb. v. 12.
'l i> Thess. i. 3, 4.
2095. J THE SPIRIT'S INFLUENCES. 279
[If we are unconverted, our eyes are blind6, our souls are
deadf, yea we are incapable of receiving or knowing the things
of the Spirit, because we have not that spiritual discernment,
whereby alone they can be discerned g If we are con
verted, still we are in need of fresh supplies of the Spirit, as
much as the Ephesian converts were. It is " by the Spirit
only that we can know the things which have been freely
given to us of GodV The Apostles not only had been con
verted, but had enjoyed the public and private instructions of
their Divine Master for nearly four years : yet after his resur
rection he " opened their understandings to understand the
Scriptures V' and on the day of Pentecost gave them his Spirit
in a more abundant measure, " to guide them into all truth V
It is by repeated communications of the same Spirit that we
also are to obtain a deeper insight into the things of God. We
find oftentimes, even after we have been enlightened, that the
written word is only to us as " a dead letter ;" and that unless
the Spirit shine upon it, we learn no more from it than from
a dial when the sun is hid behind a cloud.
If then we need the Spirit as much as they did of old, we
may expect it as well as they.]
2. The promises relating to the communications
of the Spirit, are made to us, as much as to any per
sons whatever —
[Those of the Old Testament extend to the Church in
every age. Shall we confine to the apostolic age such declara
tions as those ; " Turn you at my reproof, and I will pour out
my Spirit upon you1:" " All thy children shall be taught of
the Lord™:" " This shall be the covenant that I will make
with the house of Israel ; I will put my law in their inward
parts, and write it in their hearts ; and they shall teach no
more every man his neighbour, saying, Know the Lord ; for
they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the
greatest of them0:" "I will put my Spirit within you, and
cause you to walk in my statutes ° ?" To deny our interest in
such passages as these, were to rob us of half the Scriptures.
And what shall we say to the promises of the New Testa
ment ? Shall we limit those also to the Apostles' days ? Hear
what our Lord says ; " If ye, being evil, know how to give
good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your hea
venly Father give the Holy Spirit unto them that ask him^?"
" If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink ; and out
e 2 Cor. iv. 4. f Eph. ii. 1. el Cor. ii. 14. h 1 Cor. ii. 12.
1 Luke xxiv. 45. k 1 Cor. ii. 11. with 1 John ii. 20, 27.
1 Prov. i. 23. m Isai. liv. 13. with John vi. 45.
" Jor. xxxi. 33, 34. » Ezek. xxxvi. 27. i' Luke xi. 13.
280 EPHESIANS, I. 15—20. [2095.
of his belly shall flow rivers of living water : This spake he of
the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive q."
" I will send you another Comforter, who shall abide with you
for ever*." Hear what his Apostles also say : " Believe on
Christ for the remission of your sins ; and ye shall receive the
gift of the Holy Ghost : for the promise is to you, and to your
children, and to as many as are afar off, even as many as the
Lord our God shall call*." " If any man have not the Spirit
of Christ, he is none of his V
Language has neither force nor certainty, if such declarations
as these be not to be applied to us.]
3. In the Liturgy of our Church we pray continu
ally for the communications of the Spirit to our
souls —
[If we do not intend to mock God in our supplications, we
must not only acknowledge our need of the Spirit's influence,
but we must really feel it every time that we join in our public
services11 ]
But, to prevent misapprehension, we shall proceed
to state distinctly,
II. What discoveries the Spirit will make to our
souls—
This is certain, that no new revelation is to be ex-
pected by us : the canon of Scripture is closed : and
if any man pretend to new revelations, let him con
firm his pretensions, by clear and undoubted mira
cles ; or else let him be rejected as an enthusiast and
deceiver. The Spirit now enlightens men only by
shining upon the written word, and opening their
understandings to understand it. But in this way he
will make wonderful discoveries to the soul. He will
give us just views,
q John vii. 37—39. r John xiv. 16.
s Acts ii. 38, 39. * Rom. viii. 9.
u In the Prayer for the King we say, " Replenish him with the
grace of thy Holy Spirit." In the Litany, " That it may please thee
to illuminate all Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, with true knowledge
and understanding of thy word." \_Mark this welL~\ See also the Col
lects for 1st Sunday after Epiphany — 5th Sunday after Easter — Whit-
Sunday — 9th Sunday after Trinity — 19th ditto. Compare these with
the text ; and see whether, in the judgment of our reformers, the best
and most learned of men do not still need to have the Spirit, as a Spi
rit of wisdom and revelation, <nven unto them.
2095 J THE SPIRIT'S INFLUENCES. 281
1. Of God himself—
[Somewhat of God may be known from books, without
any supernatural aid : but the knowledge gained in that way
will be merely theoretical ; it will have no suitable influence
upon the heart and life. But the very same truths, when
applied by the Spirit to the soul, make a deep impression
on the mind ; they fill it with wonder and with love ; and
constrain the enraptured soul to exclaim, " I have heard of
thee by the hearing of the ear ; but now mine eye seeth
theex!" How precious does Christ appear at such seasons!
how " unsearchable the length and breadth and depth and
height of his incomprehensible lovey!" These are the mani
festations of himself which our blessed Lord promised to his
Church2; and without which we cannot know aright either
him or his Father3.
Let us pray then for " the Spirit of wisdom and revelation,
in, and for, the knowledge of him"]
2. Of the hope to which he has called us —
[How low are our apprehensions of the Christian's portion,
when no particular revelation of it is made to the soul! We
can speak of pardon and acceptance, of grace and glory ; but
we speak of them with no more feeling than if they were mere
fictions. But O what a "gloriously rich inheritance" does
ours appear, when our eyes are opened by the Spirit to behold
it! One Pisgah-view of the promised land, how does it
transport the soul to heaven, and make us long to be dissolved,
that we may be with Christ! As for the inheritances of
princes, they then appear as worthless as the toys that amuse
a child. The realities of the eternal world surpass all sublu
nary things, as the splendour of the sun exceeds the glimmering
of a taper. " These things, which no carnal eye hath seen,
nor ear heard, nor heart conceived, these things, I say, God
now reveals to us by his Spiritb;" yea, he gives us an earnest
of them in our hearts0.]
3. Of the work he has wrought in us —
[We are apt to undervalue the work that is already
wrought in us, because so much remains to be done. But
when God shines upon his own work, we entertain very dif
ferent thoughts respecting it. It is no light matter then in
our eyes to have been quickened from the dead, and " created
anew in Christ Jesus." It seems no less a work than that
which was " wrought for Christ, when God raised him from
* Job xlii. f>. y Eph. iii. 18, 19.
x John xiv. 21 — 23. and xvi. 14, la. a Matt. xi. 27.
b 1 Cor. ii. 9, 10. « Eph. i. 13, 14.
282 EPHESIANS, I. 15—20. [2095.
the dead," and " set him at his own right hand, above all the
principalities and powers," whether of heaven or hell. We
were dead and buried ; and Satan set, as it were, the stone,
the seal, the watch, to keep us securely under the power of
the grave. But our God came " by the mighty working of
his power," and made us triumphant over all the powers of
darkness, and still " always causeth us to triumph in Christ."
Truly the believer, when he views these things, is a wonder
to himself: he is a burning bushd, a captive ruling over his
oppressors6, a worm threshing the mountains f.]
ADDRESS —
1. Let us seek to attain the Christian's character —
[The Ephesians were already Christians : they possessed
the two distinctive marks of the Christian character, " faith in
the Lord Jesus Christ, and love unto all the saints." These
marks we must possess. It is in vain to hope for the higher
manifestations of the Spirit, till we have received those com
munications which are of prime and indispensable necessity.
Till these evidences of true religion appear, neither can
ministers have any joy over you, nor you any scriptural hope
for yourselves. Come then to Christ as perishing sinners, and
cast in your lot with his people, that you may have your por
tion with them in a better world.]
2. Let us seek to enjoy the Christian's privileges —
[We would not that any of you should live below your
privileges. " The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father
of glory," is willing to bestow on you the richest gifts, and to
exalt you to the sublimest happiness. He is ready to make
all his glory pass before your eyes, and to proclaim in your
hearing all his goodness %. Though he will not catch you up to
Paradise, as he did the Apostle Paul, or make the heavens
open to you, as he did to the dying Stephen, yet will he shine
into your hearts, to give you light and knowledge, of which
you have at present scarcely any conception11. Seek then
these sublime attainments;, which will at once enhance your
present happiness, and increase your meetness for your hea
venly inheritance.]
d Exod. iii. 2. e Isai. xiv. 2.
f Isai. xli. 15. g Exod. xxxiii. 18, 19.
h 2 Cor. iv. G.
2096 J CHRIST THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH. 283
MMXCVI.
CHRIST THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH.
Eph. i. 20 — 23. He raised him from the dead, and set him at
his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all prin
cipality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every
name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that
which is to come : and hath put all things under his feet, and
gave him to be the head over all things to the Church, which
is his body, the fulness of him thatjilleth all in all.
LITTLE do men imagine what power is necessary
to effect the salvation of their souls. They are ready
to suppose that they can repent, and turn to God,
of themselves, by the force of their own resolutions.
But the creation itself was not more the product of a
Divine power, than the new creation is in the souls
of men. Yea, if we can conceive that any one thing
needs a greater exertion of omnipotence than another,
it is this. The Apostle strongly expresses this idea
in the passage before us. He is praying for the
Ephesian converts, that they may have just and ade
quate notions of the power that has been exercised
towards them, in bringing them to their present
state. Overwhelmed, as it were, with the thought,
he accumulates all the most forcible terms that lan
guage could afford him, in order to convey some
faint idea of the subject : and then he illustrates the
point by the most stupendous effort of omnipotence
that ever was exhibited since the foundation of the
world; namely, by the raising of the Lord Jesus
Christ from the dead, and the investing of him with
all power, both in heaven and earth.
In contemplating this work of omnipotence, the
exaltation of Christ upon his Father's throne, we
shall fix our attention upon two things :
I. His supremacy above all creatures—
The death, the resurrection, and the ascension of
our Lord Jesus, we pass over in silence. It is not
the act of our Saviour's elevation, but the stale to
284 EPHESIANS, I. 20—23. [2096.
which he is elevated, which we propose for your
present consideration. This includes,
1 . A state of dignity —
["The right hand of God" is a metaphorical expression
for the place of the highest dignity and glory in the heavenly
world. There Jesus sits, exalted "far above all" creatures in
earth, in hell, or in heaven. The phrase, " principalities and
powers," is applied in Scripture to mena, to devils b, and to
the holy angels c. And the Apostle evidently intended to
comprehend them all, because he specified yet further " every
name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that
which is to come." Now it should seem, that as, on earth,
there are different ranks and orders of magistrates, from the
king, who is supreme, to those who exercise the most limited
jurisdiction, so there is a gradation of beings both in heaven
and hell. We read of Michael, the archangel ; and of Beel
zebub, the prince of the devils; and to them we ascribe a
pre-eminence among their fellows. But however exalted
any creature may be, Jesus Christ is raised "far above" him.
The lustre of the whole universe, in comparison of his, would
be only like that of the twinkling stars before the meridian
sun ; they may have a splendour in his absence ; but before
him they are constrained to hide their inglorious heads : they
are eclipsed, they vanish at his presence. If he but suffer
one ray of his majesty to appear, men fall, as dead, at his feet;
devils tremble ; and " angels worship him" with profouridest
adoration.]
2. A state of power—
[While Jesus yet hanged upon the cross, " he spoiled
principalities and powers, triumphing over them openly in it."
From that time "all things were put under his feet;" and
more especially from the moment that he was seated on his
mediatorial throne. It is true that " we see not yet (as the
Apostle says) all things put under him." But though they
are not visibly, they are in fact. All his enemies are like the
five kings of Canaan, when Joshua and all the elders of Israel
put their feet upon their necks. They are living indeed ; but
their power is broken : and they are doomed to a speedy and
ignominious death. Devils are more aware of this than men :
when they saw Jesus in the days of his flesh, they asked, " Art
thou come to torment us before our time?" Still however
they combine with men, and stimulate them to oppose his
will. But when they are consulting together, saying, " Let
us break his bands asunder, and cast away his cords from us,"
a Tit. iii. 1. lj Eph. vi. 12. c Eph. iii, 10.
2096.] CHRIST THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH.
he " laughs them to scorn, and has them in derision." He
suffers them to accomplish their own will, as far as it may
subserve his purposes ; and " the remainder of their wrath he
restrains." Full of pride and blasphemy, they boast what
great things they will do: but " he puts his hook in their
nose, and his bridle in their jaws," and in a moment brings all
their boasted projects to an endd. Whatever they may effect,
they are his instruments, to " do what his hand, and his
counsel, had determined before to be done." In all things
" his counsel stands, and he does all his pleasure."]
By means of this supremacy, he is enabled to
carry on,
II. His government of his Church —
In investing his Son with " all power in heaven
and in earth," God had especial respect to the welfare
of his Church. He constituted his Son,
1. The Head of the Church-
[The Church is called " his body," and " his fulness."
The body, we know, consists of many members : and it is the
whole aggregate of members that constitutes the body : and the
body, joined to the head, forms the complete man. This is
the precise idea in the text. Every believer is a member of
Christ : the whole collective number of believers form his
entire body : and, by their union with him, Christ himself is
represented as complete. The body would not be complete,
if any member were wanting; nor is the Head complete with
out the body : but the body united to the Head is " the ful
ness," the completion of Christ himself6.
The head however exercises a controul over the whole body.
As being the residence of the soul, it may be said to actuate all
the members : it moves in the limbs, sees in the eyes, hears in
the ears, speaks in the tongue, and imparts a vital energy to
the whole. Thus does Christ " fill all in all." There is not
a member of his mystical body which does not derive all his
strength from him. From him the understanding receives its
comprehension ; the will, its activity ; the affections, their
power. It is by him that we live ; or rather, as the Apostle
speaks, " he is our life." In all persons, there is the same
absolute dependence on him: "in all" circumstances, his
agency is wanted : (it is as much wanted to produce a good
thought, as to carry it into execution.) " In all" ages, he
is equally the true and only source of good to man. None in
any place or period of the world have any thing which they
d Isai. xxxvii, 29. Job v. 12, 13.
286 EPHESIANS, I. 20—23. [2096.
did not first " receive out of his fulness f:" so true is it, in the
strongest sense of the words, that " he filleth all in all."
Thus is Christ, in his present exalted state, the living, and
life-giving Head of all his Church, his Church militant, and
his Church triumphant.]
2. The Head over all things for his Church's good —
[In the management of the universe, Jesus consults the
best interests of his Church. If he permit evil to befall his
people, it is with a view to their deeper humiliation. If, on
the contrary, he fill them with peace and joy, it is for the
purpose of quickening them to more holy ardour in his ways.
Nothing is further from the intention of their enemies than to
do them good : but they are all under his controul ; and when
they desire nothing so much as to frustrate his purposes, they
ignorantly and unwittingly fulfil themg. As, in his own case,
the envy of the priests, the treachery of Judas, the cowardice
of Pilate, and the blind fury of the populace, conspired to
bring him to that death, which was to fulfil the Scriptures and
to redeem the world, and which was of necessity to precede
his exaltation to glory; so every creature, whatever be its
aim, is executing his gracious purposes with respect to his
Church, and is doing that very thing, which every member of
the Church, if he could foresee the final issue of events, would
actually wish to be done.]
We may LEARN from hence,
1. Our duty towards him —
[Is he the supreme Governor of the universe ? then we
should obey his voice — and submit to his will — and seek in all
things his glory. Is he in a more especial manner our Head ?
then we should look to him for direction, and depend on him
for every thing we may stand in need of.]
2. Our security in him—
[Who shall overcome him, when " all things are under his
feet ? " or, " Who shall pluck us out of his hands," provided we
belong to him ? We may, with St. Paul, defy all the prin
cipalities and powers both of earth and hellh. Neither the
Church at large1, nor the smallest member of itk, has any
thing to fear. " If he be for us, none can be successfully
against us1."]
3. Our happiness through him —
f John i. 16. s Gen. 1. 20. h Rom. viii. 38, 39.
1 Matt. xvi. 18. k Amos ix. 9. Matt, xviii. 14.
1 Rom. viii. 31.
2097.] ORIGINAL SIN STATED, AND IMPROVED. 287
[The principal subject of the Apostle's prayer is, that we
may know what mighty power God exercises towards his
believing people. The exaltation of Christ is introduced by
him quite incidentally, and merely for the purpose of illus
trating his main point. But, having introduced the subject,
he draws a parallel between the believer's exaltation, and that
of Christ. Behold then the Lord Jesus raised from the dead,
and seated at his Father's right hand, far above all princi
palities and powers : such is the honour, and such the happi
ness, that is imparted to the believing soulm: and even that
which he now enjoys, is but a shadow of what he will enjoy
to all eternity. Believer, let your expectations be enlarged :
the felicity of the Head is the felicity prepared for the mem
bers : " Such honour have all his saints."]
m Compare ver. 19 — 22. with ii. 5 — 7.
MMXCVII.
ORIGINAL SIN STATED, AND IMPROVED.
Eph. ii. 3. And were by nature the children of wrath, even as
others.
AMONG the many beautiful traits which mark
the character of St. Paul, we cannot but notice par
ticularly his readiness to place himself on a level with
the least and lowest of mankind, and to confess his
obligations to the sovereign grace of God for all the
difference that had been made between him and
others. In his Epistle to Titus he gives such a re
presentation of himself and his fellow-Apostles in
their unconverted state, as was most humiliating to
them, whilst it afforded rich encouragement to all
who felt the plague of their own hearts. In like
manner,, in the epistle before us, after shewing that
the Gentile world had been altogether in a state of
bondage to sin and Satan, he declares, that he him
self, and all others without exception, had in fact
been in a condition no less deplorable, both by nature
and practice ; — by practice having habitually fulfilled
the desires of the flesh and of the mind ; and being
" by nature children of wrath, even as others."
That we may fully enter into the confession which
he here makes, we shall,
288 EPHESIANS, II. 3. [2097.
I. Explain the terms here used —
We may notice them,,
1. Separately —
[As in the preceding verse the words " children of dis
obedience " mean " disobedient children," so, in our text,
" children of wrath " must be understood as importing
" children doomed to wrath :" just as a similar expression of
St. Peter is actually translated : what in the Greek is " sons
of a curse," is in our translation " cursed children a." It is a
Hebraism, common throughout all the inspired writings.
Such, we are told, is the state of all " by nature." Those
who are adverse to the doctrine of original sin, would interpret
these words as importing, that men were in this state " by
habit or custom :" but the words cannot with any propriety be
so construed : the only true and proper sense of them is that
which our translators have here assigned to themb.
The Apostle further says, that he and his fellow- Apostles
were in this state, " even as others" The Jews were ready
enough to account the Gentiles accursed; but they thought
that no curse could attach to them, because they were children
of Abraham. This mistake St. Paul rectifies in our text,
declaring, that whatever privileges the Jews might enjoy above
the Gentiles, there was in this respect no difference between
them; the Jews, yea the Apostles themselves, being, by
nature, children of wrath, even as others.]
2. Taken in their collective sense —
[According to their plain and obvious and undeniable
import, they declare, that every child of man, whatever be
his privileges, or whatever his attainments, is by nature under
the wrath of God.
All, as fallen in Adam, deserve God's ivrath. Adam was
the covenant-head and representative of all his descendants.
Had he stood, they would have stood in him : and, as he fell,
they fell in him. If it be thought strange, that his posterity
should be responsible for his act, let it suffice to say, that, if
he fell, there can be no doubt but that we, if subjected to the
same trial, should have fallen also : yea, considering all the
circumstances in which he was placed, (created in the fullest
possession of all his faculties, having a perfect nature, and
subjected only to one single trial, and having dependent on
him the welfare, not of himself alone, but of all his posterity,)
it was infinitely more probable that he would stand, than that
we should, who come into the world in a state of infantine
a 2 Pet. ii. 14. b See Guyse's note on the text.
2097. J ORIGINAL SIN STATED, AND IMPROVED. 289
weakness. But, whether we approve of it or not, so the
matter is ; and so it was ordained of God : and, exactly as
Levi is said to have paid tithes in Abraham, (though he was
not born till one hundred and fifty years after the circumstance
of paying tithes occurred,) merely because he was in the loins
of Abraham at the time that he paid tithes to Melchizedec, so
may we be justly said to have sinned in Adam, because we
were in the loins of Adam when he sinned. Hence it is
declared by God himself, that, " in Adam all have sinned0,"
and " in Adam all have diedd."
[Moreover, all, as partakers of Adam's fallen nature, are
fit for the wrath of God. Adam begat children in his own
fallen likeness. Indeed, being corrupt himself, he could
transmit nothing but corruption to his descendants ; " for who
can bring a clean thing out of an unclean ?" Now in whom
soever iniquity be found, God cannot look upon it without
abhorrence : and hence it is said, that " flesh and blood cannot
inherit the kingdom of God," " neither can corruption inherit
incorruption."
Further, all, both as fallen in Adam, and corrupt in them
selves are actually under a sentence of wrath, and actually
doomed to it. This is indeed an awful truth ; but it is
explicitly declared by an inspired Apostle, that, "by one man's
disobedience many were made sinners," yea, that " by the
offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condem
nation6."]
Having endeavoured to ascertain the precise import
of the words, we proceed to,
II. Establish the truth contained in them—
In proof of what our text asserts, we appeal,
1. To Scripture—
[Consult the declarations of Almighty God. In the Old
Testament he has testified, that every human being, without
exception, is corrupt, not in act only, but " in every imagi
nation and thought of his heartf." And this testimony which
the heart-searching God himself bore before the flood, as a
reason for destroying the earth, he renewed after the flood, as
a reason why he would deluge the earth no more ; seeing that,
if he should proceed to destroy it as soon as it should become
universally corrupt, he would have to repeat his judgments
continually, there being nothing but iniquity in every child
of man ff. In the New Testament we have a similar declara
tion from our blessed Lord. He, assigning a reason why no
c Rom. v. 12. d 1 Cor. xv. 22. e Rom. v. 18, 19.
f Gen. vi. 5. 8 Gen. viii. 21.
VOL. XVII. U
290 EPHESIANS, II. S. [2097.
unregenerate man can possibly behold the kingdom of God,
says, " That which is born of the flesh, is flesh h," and therefore
incapable of enjoying a spiritual kingdom.
With these declarations of God agree the confessions of his
most eminent saints. To his original corruption David traced
the sin which he had committed in the matter of Uriah ; not
intending thereby to extenuate, but rather to aggravate, its
guilt : " Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin hath my
mother conceived me1." St. Paul also, speaking of the con
flicts which he yet had to maintain against the corruption that
remained within him, says, " In me, that is, in my flesh,
dwelleth no good thingk:" " I see a law in my members warring
against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to
the law of sin which is in my members1." Thus we see both
these eminent saints confessing that their nature, as derived
from their first parents, was altogether corrupt.
To these we may add the promises which God has made to
his fallen creatures : " A new heart will I give you, and a new
spirit will I put within you : and I will take away the stony
heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh"1."
What can be the meaning of this ? What need they a new
heart, if the old heart be not corrupt ? or why should he pro
mise to take away the stony heart, if the heart be not by nature
hard and obdurate ?
Not to multiply passages, which yet might be multiplied to
a great extent, we will further appeal,]
2. To experience—
[Let any one make his observations on what passes all
around him, or trace the records of his own heart, and say,
whether children, as born into the world, be not partakers
both of Adams corruption, and Adams punishment.
Is not every child full of evil tempers and dispositions?
There is, it is true, more evil in some than in others : but who
ever saw " a child in whose heart folly and iniquity were not
bound up ? " If a child be even tolerably free from fretfulness,
and impatience, and selfishness, and falsehood, is it not
admired as a prodigy ? And when children grow up to the
exercise of reason, do they improve that reason in seeking after
God ? Do they not invariably shew that their dispositions
are altogether earthly, and that by nature they affect only the
things of time and sense ? Nor is this the case with children
of one age or one nation only, but of every age, and every
nation, yea, of the most godly parents too, as well as of the
ungodly.
h John iii. (>. * Ps. li. 5. k Rom. vii. 18.
1 Rom. vii. 23. m Ezek. xxxvi. 26.
2097.] ORIGINAL SIN STATED, AND IMPROVED. ^91
And, as they inherit the corruption of Adam, so do they also
his guilt and punishment. Death, we know, was the penalty
of Adam's transgression ; " In the day that thou eatest
thereof, thou shalt surely die." But children who have never
sinned in their own persons, are subjected to death : we see
little new-born infants oppressed with sickness, and racked
with pain, and cut off by an untimely stroke of death. For
whose sin are they thus punished? Their own? They are not
capable of actual sin. It is for Adam's sin therefore that
they are punished11: and that indisputably proves, that they
are, as they are represented in our text, " children of wrath."
We do not say that children, dying before they have com
mitted actual sin, are consigned over to everlasting death : we
hope, and believe, that God does, for Christ's sake, extend his
mercy to them : but this alters not the case at all : we consider
only what they are in themselves, and what they deserve at
God's hands, and to what, as fallen creatures, they are doomed
by God's righteous law : the relief which may be afforded them
by the Gospel is not the present subject of our consideration :
our present position which we are to establish, and which -we
think we have fully established, is, that all, as born into the
world, are " children of wrath."]
We will now endeavour to,
III. Suggest a suitable improvement of the subject-
Surely we may see from hence—
1. In what a deplorable condition are all they who
are yet in a state of nature —
[Children of wrath were they born, and children of wrath
have they continued to the present hour. We know indeed
how strenuously it is asserted by many, that baptism and re
generation are the same thing, and that to look for a new
nature in conversion is unnecessary. But we would ask every
parent here present, have you invariably found that your
children, from the moment that they were baptized, put away
their evil dispositions, and instantly became new creatures ?
Is it even generally found, that this change takes place at bap
tism ? I might almost proceed to ask, did you ever see this
change so wrought by baptism, that you could not do otherwise
than refer it to baptism as the means which God made use of
for that end? We do not presume to say, that God never
does confer a new heart in baptism ; but we say, that if that
be the usual, and still more the constant, means of regenera
tion to the children of men, it is very extraordinary that the
change wrought is so rarely visible, that, if it were undeniably
n Rom. v. 12, 14.
292 EPHESIANS, II. 3. [2097.
to appear, it would be universally esteemed a miracle. The
truth is, that they who are so strenuous for this opinion, have
invariably but very low notions of original sin. It is their low
sense of their disease that leads them to rest in such a remedy.
But, as " the fault and corruption of their nature is such as
deserves God's wrath and damnation0," they must have a new
nature given to them by the operation of the Holy Ghost : they
must be renewed, not externally, or partially, but inwardly,
and in all the powers of their souls : they must " be renewed
in the spirit of their -minds?" their whole dispositions being
changed from earthly and carnal to spiritual and heavenly : in
a word, they must be created anew in Christ Jesus q, and be
come altogether " new creatures, old things passing away, and
all things becoming newr." The change may not unfitly be
compared with a river where the tide comes : one while it flows
with great rapidity from the fountain-head to the ocean : a few
hours afterwards it flows with equal rapidity back again to
wards the fountain-head : and this change is wrought by the
invisible, yet undisputed, influence of the moon. In like
manner does the soul of every truly regenerate man flow back
towards God, from whom but lately, with all its faculties and
powers, it receded : and this change is effected by the invisible,
but real and undoubted, operation of the Spirit of God : and
till this change is effected, we remain under the wrath of
Almighty God. O consider the wrath of God : how terrible
the thought ! To all eternity it will be " the wrath to come."
May God stir us all up to flee from it, and, in newness of
heart and life, to "lay hold on eternal life !"]
2. In what a happy condition are they who have
been brought from a state of nature to a state of
grace—
[Such, whilst they humbly acknowledge that they " were
children of wrath," may with adoring gratitude assure them
selves, that they are so no longer. But let them never forget
what they were, or what obligations they owe to that grace of
God which has delivered them. Hear how strongly St. Paul
inculcates this on those to whom our text was addressed : " We
were by nature children of wrath, even as others. But God,
who is rich in mercy, of his great love wherewith he loved us,
even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with
Christ" . . . . " Wherefore remember," (O beloved brethren,
REMEMBER,) " that at that time ye were without Christ,
(O, think of that !) being aliens from the commonwealth of
Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no
hope, and without God in the world : but now in Christ Jesus
0 See the Ninth Article of our Church. P Eph. iv. 23.
(i ver. 10. r 2 Cor. v. 17.
2097. ) ORIGINAL SIN STATED, AND IMPROVED. 293
ye who sometimes were afar off are made nigh by the blood
of Christ8." Dear brethren, remember this transition; and let
every syllable that records it fill your souls with gratitude to
your almighty Saviour and Deliverer.]
3. What attention should be shewn to the welfare
of the rising generation—
[They are " all by nature children of wrath." And should
they be left in that awful state ? Should no means be used to
turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan
unto God ?
0 parents, look at your dear offspring; and whilst fondling
them in your arms, or delighting in their progress, remember
what they are, and cry mightily to God for them night and
day. Be not contented with their advancement in bodily
strength, or intellectual power, or temporal condition ; but
seek above all things to behold them turning to God, and
growing in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let all
your plans for them have respect to this one point, the changing
of them from children of wrath to children of the living God.
Let those also who have the care of children1 endeavour to
get their own minds impressed with the thought, that their
office is not so much to convey instruction in worldly know
ledge, as to lead the souls of the children to Christ, that they
may be partakers of his salvation : and let them engage in
their work with hearts full of tender compassion to their
scholars, and of zeal for God.
And, my dear children, let me address also a few words to
ou. Think me not unkind if I remind you of what you are
y nature. If I speak to you as children of wrath, it is not to
wound your feelings, but to stir you up to improve the oppor
tunities that are afforded you for attaining a better and a
happier state. What would you do, my dear children, if you
were shut up in a house that was on fire, and a number of
benevolent persons were exerting themselves to rescue you
from the devouring element? would you not strive which
should first be partakers of the benefit? Know then, that this
is a just representation of your state: you are children of
wrath, and are in danger of dwelling with everlasting burnings :
and the object of your instructors is, to shew you how you may
fiee from the wrath to come. O listen to their instructions
with all possible care ; treasure up in your minds all their
exhortations and advice ; and beg of God, that through those
Scriptures which they explain to you, you may be made wise
unto salvation by faith in Christ Jesus.]
8 ver. 4, 5, 11—13.
1 If this he the subject of a Sermon for Sunday Schools or Charity
Schools, the Instructors in particular may be here addressed.
y
b
EPHESIANS, II. 4—7. [2098.
MMXCVIII.
THE RICHES OF DIVINE GRACE DISPLAYED.
Eph. ii. 4 — 7. But God, ivho is rich in mercy, for his great
love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins,
hath quickened us together with Christ and hath
raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly
places in Christ Jesus : that in the ages to come he might
sheiv the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward
us through Christ Jesus.
WHAT an accumulation of sublime ideas is here
presented to our view ! Well might the Psalmist say
that the meditation of God was sweet to him. We
scarcely know whether to admire more the grace of
the Benefactor, or the felicity of those who participate
his blessings. But the text requires us to fix our
attention on that most delightful of all subjects, the
riches of divine grace. The Apostle has in the pre
ceding verses described the state of the unregenerate
world. He now displays the grace of God towards
the regenerate,
I. In its source —
God is " rich in mercy," and " abundant in love" —
[Mercy and love are, as it were, the favourite attributes of
the Deity a: and the exercise of these perfections is peculiarly
grateful to himb. There is an inexhaustible fountain of them
in the heart of God c: they have flowed down upon the most
unworthy of the human race ; and will flow undmrinished to
all eternity. While he retains his nature, he cannot but exer
cise these perfections d.]
These are the true sources of all the grace dis
played towards fallen man—
[Man had nothing in him whereby he could merit the
attention of his Maker. He was fallen into the lowest state
of guilt and misery: but the bowels of his Creator yearned
over him6. God felt (if we may so speak) an irresistible
a Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7. b Mic. vii. 18.
« Rom. x. 12. d 1 John iv. 8.
c In this view, God's solicitude to find Adam, and his affectionate
(perhaps plaintive) inquiry after him, Gen. iii. 9. are very striking.
2098. j RICHES OF DIVINE GRACE DISPLAYED, 295
impulse of compassion towards himf. Hence was it that the
Son of God was sent into the world8: hence also were so
many offers of mercy made to man ; and to this alone is it
owing that so much as one has ever found acceptance with
God.]
But, to judge how great the love was wherewith he
loved us, we must trace it,
II. In its operations—
The grace of God has been displayed towards us
in ten thousand ways ; but we must confine our at
tention to its operations, as they are set forth in the
text.
God has " quickened us even when we were dead
in sins"-
[What is meant by " dead in sins," appears from the
preceding verses. We were walking according to the course
of this world ; we were the willing servants of Satan ; we were
indulging all kinds of " filthiness, both of flesh and spirit ;"
we were demonstrating ourselves to be " by nature" as well as
practice, " children of wrath ;" and we were utterly destitute
of all power to help and save ourselves11. Yet even then did
God look upon us in tender compassion1: he quickened us by
the same Spirit whereby he raised Christ from the deadk.
In so doing, he united us " together with Christ," and ren
dered us conformable to him as our Head. What an astonish
ing instance of divine grace was this !]
He has also "raised us up, and enthroned us to
gether with Christ in heaven" —
[The Apostle had before expatiated on what God had
wrought for Christ1: he now draws a parallel between be
lievers and Christ. What was done for Christ our head and
representative, may be considered as done for all the members
of his mystical body. In this view Christians may be considered
figuratively as risen with Christ, and as already seated on his
throne : their hearts, their conversation, their rest, is in
heaven1". How has he thus verified the declaration of
f We may conceive of God as expressing himself in the language
of the prophet. Hos. xi. 8, 9.
g John iii. 16. h Rom. v. 6.
' This may be illustrated by Ezek. xvi. 4 — 6.
k Compare 1 Pet. iii. 18. with Rom. viii. 11.
1 Eph. i. 19, 20. " quickened, raised, enthroned."
'» Col. iii. 1, 2. Phil. iii. '20.
296 EPHES1ANS, II. 4—7. [2098.
Hannah11!— How has he thus discovered " the exceeding
riches of his grace ! "]
How worthy of God such a stupendous display of
grace is, we shall see if we consider it,
III. In its end-
God is not only the author, but also the end of all
things0; nor would it become him to do any thing
but with a view to his own glory. The manifestation
of his own glory was the express end for which he
revealed his grace1', and this end is already in some
measure attained—
[All ages, to the end of time, must admire the grace of
God towards both the Jewish and the Gentile world. Every
one, who partakes of that grace, must of necessity admire it :
the " exceeding riches of it" are unsearchable. God's "kind
ness" too is infinitely enhanced by flowing to us " through
Christ Jesus." The price paid by Christ will to eternity en
dear to us the blessings purchased : at present, however, the
design of God in revealing his grace is not fully answered.]
But it will be completely answered in the day of
judgment —
[Then, how exceeding rich and glorious will this grace
appear! Then the depth of misery, into which we were
fallen, will be more fully known; the spring and source of
that grace will be more clearly discovered ; and all the ope
rations will be seen in one view. Then Christ, the one channel
in which it flows, will be more intimately revealed to us.
How will every eye then admire, and every tongue then
adore! Surely nothing but such an end could account for
such operations of the Divine grace ; let every one therefore
seek to experience these operations in his own soul. Let
those who have been favoured with them glorify God with
their whole hearts.]
11 1 Sum. ii. 8. ° Horn. xi. ^G. i' Kph, i. 0.
2099.] ACCORDANCE OF GRACE AND WORKS. 297
MMXCIX.
SALVATION BY GRACE NOT HOSTILE TO GOOD WORKS.
Eph. ii. 8 — 10. By grace are ye saved through faith ; and
that not of yourselves : it is the gift of God : not of works,
lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath
before ordained that we should walk in them.
ALL God's works, of whatever kind they be, are
designed to praise him. His works of creation pro
claim his wisdom and his power : his works of provi
dence display his goodness : his works of redemption
magnify his grace. It is of these last that the Apostle
is speaking in the preceding context, even of all that
God has done for us in the Son of his love ; and he
declares that it was all done, " that in the ages to
come he might shew the exceeding riches of his
grace, in his kindness towards us through Christ
Jesus." The Gospel is too rarely viewed in this
light : it is by many scarcely distinguished from the
law ; being considered rather as a code of laws en
forced with penalties, than as an exhibition of mercies
confirmed with promises. But it is as an exhibition
of mercy only that we ought to view it ; precisely as
it is set forth in the words before us : from which we
shall take occasion to shew,
I. That salvation is altogether of grace —
By " salvation" I understand the whole work of
grace, whether as revealed in the word, or as expe
rienced in the soul : and it is altogether of grace :
1. It is so—
[Trace it to its first origin, when the plan of it was fixed
in the council of peace between the Father and the Sona:
Who devised it? who merited it? who desired it? It was the
fruit of God's sovereign grace, and of grace alone. Trace it
in all its parts; — the gift of God's only-begotten Son to be
our surety and our substitute ; the acceptance of his vicarious
sacrifice in our behalf; and the revelation of that mystery in
a Zech. vi. 13.
298 EPHESIANS, II. 8—10. [2099.
the written word : who will arrogate to himself the honour of
haying acquired these, or of having contributed to the acqui
sition of them in the smallest degree ?
It may be thought perhaps, that, because an interest in
these things is obtained by faith, we may claim some honour
on account of the faith which apprehends them ; which, being-
exercised by us, may be considered in some respects as giving
us a ground of glorying before God. But this also is the
gift of God, no less than the plan of salvation itself: it is not
in any man by nature ; nor is it to be wrought in man by any
human power: it is not the effect of reasoning: for then the
acutest reasoners would be the strongest believers ; which is
frequently far from being the case : it is solely the gift of God :
and hence they who have believed, are said to " have believed
through grace V It is expressly said to be given usc : and
when Peter declared his faith in Jesus as the true Messiah,
Jesus said to him, " Flesh and blood had not revealed this
truth unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven." This is
the true reason why many believed the testimony of Christ
and his Apostles, whilst others were hardened in unbelief:
those " whose hearts God opened," as he did Lydia's, received
the truth ; whilst all others treated the word, either with open
scorn, or secret indifference.]
2. It must be so—
[Salvation must either be of grace or of works : the two
cannot be mixed together, or reconciled with each other : if
it be of works in any degree, it is no more of grace d; and in
whatever degree it is of works, it so far affords us an occasion
of boasting; seeing that it is then a debt paid, and not a gift
bestowed6.
To avoid this conclusion, some will say, that salvation may
be of works, and still be also of grace; because the works
being wrought in us by God, he is entitled to all the glory of
them. But, granting that they are wrought in us by God,
yet, inasmuch as they are our works, they afford us a ground
of glorying : and, to say that they do not afford us a ground
of glorying, is directly to contradict the Apostle in our text,
where he says, "It is not of works, lest any man should
boast." The same Apostle elsewhere says, " It is of faith,
that it may be by grace f:" from both which passages it is
evident, that, if it be of works, from whatever source those
works proceed, it can no longer be by grace.
But here it may be asked, ' If works, notwithstanding they
are wrought in us by God, afford us a ground of glorying in
b Acts xviii. 27. c Phil. i. 29. d Rom. xi. (5.
c Rom. iv. 4. f Rom. iv. 10.
2099.] ACCORDANCE OF GRACE AND WORKS. 299
ourselves, does not faith afford us the same ground of glorying?'
I answer, No : for it is of the very nature of faith to renounce
all hope in ourselves, and to found our hopes solely on the
merits of another : it disclaims all glorying in self, and gives
all the glory to Him from whom it derives its blessings. In
this it differs essentially from every other work : other works,
though wrought in us by God, bring a glory to ourselves;
but this, of necessity, transfers to God all the glory resulting
from its exercise; and, consequently, neither does, nor can,
nor desires to, arrogate any thing to itself.
Thus we hope that the point is clear, — salvation is alto
gether of grace from first to last. The plan of salvation as
originally devised, the Saviour who wrought it out for us, the
acceptance of his vicarious sacrifice in our behalf, and the faith
whereby we are made partakers of his sacrifice, are all the
gifts of free and sovereign grace : the foundation and the
superstructure are wholly of grace: and, " when the head
stone shall be brought forth, it must be with shoutings, crying,
Grace, grace unto itg!"]
If to this it be objected, that by such doctrines we
subvert the very foundations of morality, we answer,
II. That, though good works are wholly excluded
from all share in the office of justifying the soul,
yet is the performance of them effectually se
cured —
Believers are " the workmanship of God" altoge
ther, as much as the world itself is : and as the world
was created by Christ Jesus, so are they " created
anew in Christ Jesus." But we are " created unto
good works, which God has before ordained that we
should walk in them."
The concluding words of our text shew us,
1 . That God has ordained good works as the path
wherein we are to walk —
[This is an unquestionable truth : the whole of the moral
law demonstrates it: every promise, every threatening in the
whole Bible attests it. Not a word can be found in the whole
sacred volume, that dispenses with the performance of good
works : on the contrary, it is expressly said, that " without
holiness no man shall see the Lord." The least idea of reach
ing heaven in any other path, is invariably reprobated as a
z Zecli. iv. 7.
300 EPHESIANS, II. 8—10. [2099.
most fatal delusion. The means and the end are indissolubly
connected in the councils of heaven h : and to hope that they
shall ever be separated, is to deceive and ruin our own souls.
If we are not careful to maintain good works, we entirely
counteract all the purposes of God in his Gospel, and cut our
selves off from all hope of salvation1.]
2. That God has prepared and fitted his people to
walk in themk —
[He has given to his people a new nature, and infused
into their souls a new and heavenly principle, by which they
" have passed from death unto life." They have received
from Christ " that living water, which is in them as a well of
water springing up unto everlasting life1." They can no more
sin in the way they did before111. Under the influence of the
Holy Ghost, they move in a new direction, affecting the things
of the Spirit, as formerly they affected the things of the flesh".
They are created in Christ Jesus unto good works; and the
impulse given them in this new creation they obey. The
metaphor here used, may, if not pressed too far, illustrate the
matter, and set it in a clear point of view. God, when he
created the heavenly bodies, appointed them their respective
paths in the regions of space. To each he gave its proper
impulse, having previously fitted it for the performance of the
revolutions assigned it : and in their respective orbits he has
ever since upheld them, so that they all without exception
fulfil the ends for which they were created. Thus in the new
creation, God has appointed to all their destined course
through the vast expanse of moral and religious duty. He has
also, at the time of its new creation, given to each soul the
impulse necessary for it, together with all the qualities and
dispositions proper for the regulation of its motions according
to his will : and he yet further, by his continual, though in
visible, agency, preserves them in their appointed way0. But
further than this the metaphor must not be pressed : for the
heavenly bodies have neither consciousness nor volition ; but
we have both : they too carry with them nothing that can
cause an aberration from their destined course ; whereas we
have innumerable impediments, both within and without :
h 2 Thess. ii. 13,
1 Tit. ii. 4 — 8. Mark the eighth verse especially.
k This perhaps is, of the two, the more exact sense of the original.
I John iv. 14. ™ 1 John iii. 9.
II Rom. viii. 1 — 5. and Gal. v. 17.
0 Men fit themselves for perdition : but it is God alone who fits
any lor glory. See Rom. ix. 23. where the same word is used as in
the text. See also Isai. xxvi. 12.
2099.] ACCORDANCE OF GRACE AND WORKS. 301
hence they fulfil their destinies without the smallest inter
mission ; whilst we, alas ! deviate from the path assigned us
in instances without number. Still however, in the event,
the purposes of God are at last accomplished, as with them,
so with us also : and, notwithstanding, in the estimation of a
self-righteous Pharisee, the chief reason for performing good
works is taken away, yet are they performed, and shall be
performed by every one that has " received the grace of God
in truth."]
OBSERVE then from hence,
1. What need we have of humility—
[The pride of the human heart can never endure the doc
trines of grace. So tenacious are men of every thing that
may give them a ground of glorying in themselves, that they
will rather perish in their own righteousness, than submit to
be saved by the righteousness of another p? But, brethren,
you must submit. God will not condescend to your terms.
It is in vain to contest the matter with him : it is folly, it is
madness, so to do. You know full well, that the fallen angels
have no claim on God for mercy : and what have you more
than they? But God, who has passed by the angels, has
given a Saviour to you, yea, and salvation too, if you will
receive it as a gift of grace. Let it not be a hard matter with
you to accept the proffered benefit. Would the fallen angels,
think you, refuse it, if a tender of it were made to them ? O
then, prostrate yourselves before your God, as deserving
nothing but wrath ; and let him glorify in you the unsearch
able riches of his grace!]
2. The vast importance of faith-
fit is by faith alone that you can apprehend the Saviour,
or be made partakers of his benefits. You must " be saved
by grace, through faith." Your whole life must be a life of
faith, according to what St. Paul has said, " The life which
I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God,
who loved me, and gave himself for me." But this faith you
must receive from above. You can neither come to Christ,
nor know Christ, except as you are taught and drawn by the
Father q. Pray to him, saying, " Lord, I believe ; help thou
my unbelief." Pray also to him to " increase your faith " yet
more and more : for it is only by being strong in faith that you
will approve yourselves to God, or abound, as you ought, in
all the fruits of righteousness to his praise and glory.]
3. What obligations lie upon you to serve and glo
rify your God—
i' Rom. ix. 30 — 33. and x. 3. q Matt. xi. 27. John vi. (>•>.
302 EPHESIANS, II. 12, 13. [2100.
[Be it so ; you are not to be saved by good works : but is
there no other motive that you can find for the performance of
them ? Do you feel no obligation to Him who sent his only-
begotten Son into the world, that you might live through him?
When you know that God has " ordained that you should
walk in the daily exercise of good works," have you no desire
to please him ? And when you know that this is the only path
in which it is possible for you ever to arrive at your Father's
house, will you wilfully turn aside from it? If gratitude will
not constrain you, will you be insensible to fear ? But
further, it is by your works that men \vill judge of your
principles : and, though they represent the doctrines of grace
as leading to licentiousness, they will expect to see you more
holy than others ; and if they are disappointed in this, they
will cast the blame upon your principles, and upon the Gospel
itself. Will you then put a stumbling-block in the way of
others, and cause " the name of your God and Saviour to be
blasphemed ? " No ; (l you have not so learned Christ, if so be
ye have heard him and been taught by him as the truth is in
Jesus." See then that ye abound in every good word and
work ; and " put to silence the ignorance of foolish men by
well-doing."]
MMC.
THE STATES OF THE REGENERATE AND THE UNREGENERATE
CONTRASTED.
Eph. ii. 12, 13. Ye were without Christ, being aliens from the
commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of
promise, having no hope, and without God in the world : but
now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are
made nigh by the blood of Christ.
THERE is scarcely any thing which has a greater
tendency to impress our minds with exalted views
of the grace of God, than to compare the guilt and
misery of an unconverted state, with the purity and
happiness into which we are brought by the Gospel
of Christ. As a shipwrecked person, viewing the
tempest from a rock on which he has been cast, feels
a solemn and grateful sense of the mercy vouchsafed
unto him ; so surely must every one, who " looks
unto the rock whence he has been hewn, and to the
hole of the pit whence he has been digged," stand
2100. J PRIVILEGES OF THE REGENERATE.
amazed at the Divine goodness, and be quickened to
pour out his soul in grateful adorations. To produce
this frame, is the scope of the whole preceding part
of this epistle, wherein the Apostle extols and mag
nifies the grace of God, as manifested to his re
deemed people. Having shewn what their state had
been previous to conversion, and contrasted it with
that to which they are introduced by the Gospel, he
exhorts them to bear it in remembrance : " Where
fore remember;" remember what ye were, that ye may
be thankful for what ye area.
We propose to shew,
I. The state of unregenerate men—
The state of the Jews and Gentiles represented in
a very lively manner the conditions of persons under
the Gospel : the external privileges of the Jews,
typifying the internal and spiritual privileges of the
regenerate ; and the abhorred state of the Gentiles
marking with equal clearness the ignorance and mi
sery of the unregenerate. In this view, what the
Apostle says of the Ephesians, previous to their con
version to Christianity, may be considered as appli
cable to all at this day, who are not truly and
savingly converted :
1 They are "without Christ"—
[The Gentiles, of course, had no knowledge of, nor any
interest in, the Lord Jesus Christ. And thus it is with the
unregenerate amongst ourselves: they are without Christ b;
they are separated from him as branches cut off from the
vine : they do not depend upon him, or receive sap and nutri
ment from him. They indeed call themselves Christians ; but
they have no union with Christ, nor any communications from
him.]
2. They are "aliens from the commonwealth of
Israel" —
[Israel are called a commonwealth, because they were
governed by laws different from all other people, and possessed
Privileges unknown to the rest of the world. Thus the true
srael at this day may be considered in the same light ; because
a ver. 11. with the text. b \wotc Xptrrroi). Corap. John xv. f>.
304 EPHESIANS, II. 12, 13. [2100.
they, and they only, acknowledge Christ as their governor :
they alone yield obedience to his laws, and they alone enjoy
the privileges of his people. Now as the Gentiles were
" aliens" from the commonwealth of the Jews, so are all uncon
verted men " aliens" from the commonwealth of the converted.
They are governed by different laws ; following the customs,
fashions, and erroneous maxims of the world : they are sepa
rated from them in heart and affection ; and though, from
necessity, they must sometimes have intercourse with the godly,
they never unite with them as one people, or desire to have
one lot together with them.]
3. They are " strangers from the covenants of
promise "-
[There is, strictly speaking, but one covenant of grace :
but the Apostle speaks of it in the plural number ; because it
was given at different times, and always with increasing fulness
and perspicuity. Whether given to Adam, to Noah, to Abra
ham, or to Moses, it was always the same : only the promises
annexed to it were more copious and explicit. It is ealled
" the covenant of promise," to distinguish it from the covenant
of works, which consisted only in requirements ; whereas this
consists chiefly in promises : under the covenant of works,
men were to do all ; under the covenant of grace they were to
receive all.
It is obvious that the Gentiles were " strangers" to this
covenant: and though it is not alike obvious, it is equally
true, that the unconverted are strangers to it also. We confess
they are admitted into the external bond of it in their baptism :
but they do not become partakers of the promised blessings
till they sue for them in the excercise of faith and prayer.
And we will venture to appeal to the generality of baptized
persons, Whether they are not as much strangers to the cove
nant of promise, as if no such covenant existed ? Do they
rest upon the promises ? Do they treasure them up in their
minds ? Do they plead them in prayer before God ? Do
they found all their hopes of happiness upon them ? Alas !
they have little acquaintance with the nature of the covenant,
and no submission to its terms : and consequently they are
utter strangers to the covenant, and to the promises contained
in it.]
4. They are without hope —
[The Gentile world are always represented as in a hopeless
state ; and though we presume not to say, that God will not
extend uncovenanted mercy to any, yet we have no warrant to
affirm that he will. If indeed they perfectly fulfilled the law
written in their hearts, there is reason to think God would
2100.J PRIVILEGES OF THE REGENERATE. 305
have mercy on themc: but who amongst them does perfectly
fulfil that law ? But, waving this, there is an absolute cer
tainty that the state of unconverted men under the Gospel is
hopeless : no mercy can possibly be extended to them, if they
continue unconverted : they must inevitably and eternally
perish. For, how should they have any hope, when they are
" without Christ" (who is the Head of all vital influence), and
{< aliens from the commonwealth of Israel" (to which alone any
saving blessings are communicated), and " strangers from the
covenant of promise" (which is the only channel by which
those blessings are conveyed to us) ? From whence then can
they derive any hope ? or what foundation can they have
for it ?]
5. They are " without God in the world "-
[The gods of the heathen were no gods : therefore they
to whom the God of Israel was unknown, were " without God
in the world." And thus it is with the unconverted amongst
ourselves : for though they acknowledge the being of a God,
they know not what a just and holy God he is ; nor do. they
glorify him as God, by a conformity to his revealed will. They
love not to hear of him : they endeavour to blot out the
remembrance of him from their minds ; their whole conduct
accords with that of Pharaoh, when he said, " Who is the
Lord, that I should obey his voice ? I know not the Lord,
neither will I let Israel god." In a word, the language of their
hearts is like that of the fool whom David speaks of, " No
God ;" there is no God to controul or punish me ; or, if there
be, I wish there were none6.]
But that all do not continue in that deplorable
condition,, will appear by considering,
II. The state to which they are introduced by the
Gospel—
Every living man once was in the state above
described ; but in conversion, men " who were some
times afar off, are made nigh to God"-
[In what the nearness of converted men to God consists,
will appear by the very same considerations as have already
been used to illustrate their distance from him in their uncon
verted state. The Gentiles had no liberty of access to God
among the Jews : they had an outer court assigned them : and
it would have been at the peril of their lives, if they had pre
sumed to enter the place appropriated to the Jews. But on
c Rom. ii. 26, 27. d Exod. v. 2. e Ps. xiv. I.
VOL. XVII. X
306 EPHESIANS, II. 12, 13. [2100.
conversion to Judaism, they were admitted to a participation
of all the rights and privileges of the Jews themselves. Thus
persons truly converted to God have liberty to approach the
Majesty of heaven ; yea, since the vail of the temple was rent
in twain, a new and living way is opened for them into the
holiest of all : they may go even to the throne of God, and
draw nigh to him as their reconciled God and Father. As
soon as ever they are " in Christ Jesus," united to him by
faith, and interested in his merits, they have every privilege
which the most eminent saints enjoy : their sins are pardoned ;
they have peace with God ; and, though they may not be so
full of joy as others, yet they have the same grounds of joy,
inasmuch as " their Beloved is theirs, and they are his."]
To this happy state they are brought " by the
blood of Christ "-
[It was the blood of the sacrifice that availed for the
restoration of sinners to the Divine favour under the law : and
in the same manner it is the blood of Christ, and that only,
that can avail for us. But as in the former case, so also in
this, two things are necessary : the blood must be shed as an
atonement for sin ; and it must be sprinkled on the offender
himself, to intimate his entire affiance in it. Now the shedding
of Christ's blood was effected on Calvary, many hundred years
ago : and that one offering is sufficient to atone for the sins
of the whole world. Nothing more therefore is wanting to
reconcile us to the Deity. But the sprinkling of his blood
upon our hearts and consciences must be done by every one for
himself : we must, as it were, dip the hyssop in the blood, and
apply it to our own souls : or, in other words, we must exer
cise faith on the atonement of Christ as the only ground of our
acceptance before God. In this way, and in this only, are we
ever brought to a state of favour with God, and of fellowship
with his people.]
This subject being mentioned as that which was
deserving of continual remembrance, we would
call upon you to " REMEMBER" it —
1. As a criterion whereby to judge of your state —
[It is evident, that, if once we were afar off from God, and
now we are nigh to him, there must have been a transition from
the one state to the other, or, as tlie Scripture expresses it, a
" passing from death unto life." Has this transition then ever
taken place in your souls ? It is not necessary that you should
be able to trace the precise time when it began, and the various
steps by which it was accomplished : but there is an impossi
bility for it to have taken place, without your having sought it
2101.] ACCESS TO GOD BY THE PRIESTHOOD. 307
humbly, and laboured for it diligently. Have you then this
evidence at least that it has been accomplished ? If not, you
can have no reason to think that you have ever yet experienced
the change, which characterizes all who are made heirs of
salvation.]
2. As a ground of humiliation—
[If you were the most eminent saint that ever lived, it
would be well to bear in mind what you once were, and what
you would still have been, if Divine grace had not wrought a
change within you. Look then at those who " are afar off;"
and, when you see their alienation from God, their enmity
against his people, their distance from even a hope of salvation,
behold your own image, and be confounded on account of your
past abominations : yea, " walk softly also before God all the
days of your life," in the recollection, that, as that once was
your state, so it would be again, if the grace that originally
interposed to change you, do not continually maintain that
change in your souls.]
3. As a source of gratitude and joy —
[It is scarcely needful to say, that they who have expe
rienced a restoration to God's favour, should bless and magnify
their Benefactor and Redeemer. But have not those also, who
are at the greatest distance from God, reason to rejoice and
sing ? Yes surely ; for they may look at those who are now in
heaven, and say, " The blood which availed to bring them nigh
to God will also avail for me." O joyful thought! Ponder it
in your hearts, ye careless sinners : consider what the Lord
Jesus Christ is both able and willing to do for you. Every
saint, whether on earth or in heaven, was once in your state;
and if you will seek remission through the blood of Christ, you
shall be partakers of their privileges, both in this world and in
the world to come.]
MMCI.
ACCESS TO GOD BY THE PRIESTHOOD.
Eph. ii. 18. Through him we both have access by one Spirit
unto the Father.
AS there is no question more important, so there
is none more beyond the reach of unassisted reason,
than that which Balak put to Balaam, " Wherewith
shall I come before the Most High God?" Many
are the expedients which have been devised for
x 2
308 EPHESIANS, II. 18. [2101.
obtaining acceptance with God : but there has been
only one true way from the beginning, namely,
through the sacrifice of Christ. This has been gra
dually revealed to man with increasing clearness ;
but was never fully manifested till the days of the
Apostles. The sacrifices of the Mosaic law threw
considerable light upon this interesting subject : yet,
while they revealed, they tended also to obscure, it :
for the Gentiles were forbidden to enter into the
sanctuary ; and had a court assigned them, called
the court of the Gentiles a. If they became proselytes
to the Jewish religion, they were, together with the
Jews, received into the sanctuary, or outer court of
the temple. The priests and Levites were admitted
into the inner court ; and the high-priest into the
holy of holies ; but that only on one day in the year.
Now the Apostle tells us, that by these distinctions
" the Holy Ghost signified, that the way into the
holiest of all was not yet made manifest." But in
due time Christ himself appeared ; and by his death,
both fulfilled and abrogated the ceremonial law :
since which period the difference between Jew and
Gentile has no longer subsisted ; the partition wall
was thrown down ; and the vail of the temple was
rent in twain, in token that all, whether Jews or
Gentiles, were henceforth to have an equal access to
God through Christ.
It is our present intention to shew,
I. The way of access to the Father —
The text contains a brief summary of all that God
has revealed upon this subject : it informs us that
the way to the Father is,
1. Through the Son-
[The high-priest under the law was the mediator through
whom the people drew nigh to God : and by his typical media
tion we see how we are to approach our God. He entered into
the holy place with the blood of the sacrifices, and afterwards
burnt incense before the mercy-seat ; representing, by the
former, the sacrifice of Christ,- and, by the latter, his prevailing
a Ezek. xlii. 20.
2101.] ACCESS TO GOD BY THE PRIESTHOOD. 309
intercession. Without the blood of Christ offered in sacrifice
for us, no man could ever have found acceptance with God.
Nor would that have availed, if he had not also gone within
the vail to be " our advocate with the Father, as well as the
propitiation for our sins." Even if we had been pardoned in
consideration of his death, our reconciliation with God would
not have continued long: we should soon have renewed our
transgressions, and have provoked God utterly to destroy
us. But, by this twofold mediation of Christ, Divine justice
is satisfied for the offences we have already committed, and
the peace that has been effected is maintained inviolate. Now
our Lord himself declares that there is no other way to the
Father but thisb : arid St. Paul assures us, that, in this way, we
may all draw nigh to God with boldness and confidence0.]
2. By the Spirit—
[We know not how to pray to God aright, unless the
Holy Spirit help our infirmities and teach usd. We have no
will to approach him, unless the Holy Spirit incline our
hearts6. Even in the regenerate there still remains so strong
a disinclination to prayer, that unless God draw them by the
influences of his Spirit, they find an almost insuperable re
luctance to that duty. Moreover, we have no power to exercise
spiritual affections at a throne of grace, unless the Spirit, as
" a Spirit of grace and of supplication," give us a broken and
a contrite heart f. Without his aid, we are only like a ship,
whose sails are spread in vain, unless there be a wind to fill
them. Even Paul, it should seem, had never prayed aright till
his conversion ; and then it was said, " Behold he prayeth."
Lastly, without the Spirit, we have no confidence to address
the Majesty of heaven. We are deterred by a sense of guilt ;
and are ready to think that it would be presumption in us to
ask any thing at his hands. The Holy Ghost must be in us
as " a Spirit of adoption, before we can cry, Abba, Father g."
Yea, to such a degree are the mouths of God's dearest children
sometimes shut by a sense of guilt, that the Holy Spirit him
self maketh intercession in them no other way than by sighs
and groans h. Thus, as there is a necessity for the mediation
of Christ to remove our guilt, so is there also of the Spirit's
influence on account of our weakness ; since, without his assist
ance, we have no knowledge of our wants, no will to seek a
supply of them, no power to spread them before God, nor any
confidence to plead with importunity and faith.]
The path being thus clearly marked, let us con
sider,
b John xiv. 6. c Heb. x. 19—22. d Rom. viii. 20.
0 Cant. i. 4. f Zech. xii. 10. e Rom. viii. 15.
h Rom. viii. 20, latter part.
310 EPHESIANS, II. 18. [2101.
II. The excellency of this way-
Waving many things whereby this topic might be
illustrated, we shall content ourselves with observing,
that this way of access to God,
1. Gives us a wonderful discovery of God him-
self-
[What an astonishing view does this give us of the Divine
nature ! Here we see manifestly the existence of three persons
in the Godhead. Here we see the Father, to whom we are
to draw nigh, together with the Son, through whom, and the
Spirit, by whom, we are to approach him. These are evidently
distinct, though subsisting in one undivided essence. More
over the offices of the Three Persons in the Trinity are so
appropriate, that we cannot speak of them otherwise than
they are here declared : we cannot say, that through the
Spirit, and by the Father, we have access to Christ ; or that
through the Father, and by Christ, we have access to the
Spirit: this would be to confound what the Scripture keeps
perfectly distinct. The Father is the Original Fountain of the
Deity: Christ is the Mediator, through whom we approach
him : and the Spirit is the Agent, by whom we are enabled to
approach him. That each of these divine Persons is God, is
as plainly revealed, as that there is a God : and yet we are
sure that there is but one God. It is not for us to unravel
this mystery ; but with humility and gratitude to adore that
God, who has so mysteriously revealed his nature to us.
While we are led thus to view God as he exists in himself,
we cannot but contemplate also his goodness to us. What
greater mark of it can be conceived, than that the sacred
Three should so interest themselves in our salvation ? That
the Father should devise such a way for our acceptance with
him ; that the Son should open the way by his meritorious
death, and his prevailing intercession ; and that the Holy
Spirit should condescend to guide us into it, and to keep us in
it, even to the end ! That these offices should be sustained
and executed for the salvation of such insignificant and worth
less, yea, such guilty and rebellious creatures, may well excite
our wonder, and furnish us with matter of endless praise and
thanksgiving.]
2. Is calculated to produce the most salutary
effects on the minds of men—
[What consideration can be more awakening than that
which necessarily arises from the subject before us ? Was such
a dispensation necessary in order to our restoration to the
Divine favour ? Must the Father send his onlv Son to die for
2101.] ACCESS TO GOD BY THE PRIESTHOOD. 311
us? Must the Son atone and intercede for us ? Must the
Holy Ghost descend and dwell in our hearts ? Can none of us
be saved in any other way than this ? How deep then must
have been our fall; how desperate our condition! And how
inconceivably dreadful must our state be, if we neglect so great
salvation !
On the other hand, what can be more encouraging than to
see that such abundant provision has been made for us?
What can a sinner desire more ? What clearer evidence can
he have of the Father's willingness to receive him ? What
firmer ground of confidence can he desire, than the sacrifice
and intercession of the Lord Jesus ? What further aid can
he want, who has the Holy Spirit to instruct, assist, and
sanctify him ? Surely none can despond, however great their
guilt may be, or however inveterate their corruptions.]
ADDRESS —
1. Those who never seek access to God in prayer —
[Our Lord told the Jews that " if he had not come and
spoken to them, they had not had sin ; but that now they had
no cloak for their sin." How truly may this be said to those,
who refuse to come to God in the way pointed out for them !
Surely they must be without excuse, and, if they continue in
their sin, without hope also : for in no other way than this
can we draw nigh to God ; nor will God in any other way
draw nigh to us.]
2. Those who fear that they shall not find accept
ance with God—
[There can be no ground for such fears, provided we
really desire to go to God in his appointed way. The more
we consider the condescension and grace of God in providing
such means for our recovery, the more must we be persuaded
that God will cast out none that come unto him. Only let us
" open our mouths wide, and he will fill them." We may
" ask what we will in the name of Jesus, and it shall be done
unto us."]
3. Those who enjoy sweet communion with God —
[This is the highest of all privileges, and the richest of all
enjoyments. To have access to the Father with boldness and
confidence is a foretaste even of heaven itself. Let us then
abound more and more in the duty of prayer ; for when we
can say with the Apostle, " Truly our fellowship is with the
Father, and with his Son, Jesus Christ," we may also add with
a full assurance, " And the blood of Jesus Christ his Son
cleanseth us from all sin."]
EPHESIANS, II. 19— 22. [2102.
MMCII.
THE EXALTED PRIVILEGES OF TRUE CHRISTIANS.
Eph. ii. 19- — 22. Noiv therefore ye are no more strangers and
foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the
household of God ; and are built upon the foundation of the
apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief
corner stone ; in ivhom all the building fitly framed together
groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord : in whom ye also
are builded together for an habitation of God through the
Spirit.
IT is well for Christians to contemplate their high
privileges. But, in order to estimate them aright, it
is necessary that they should bear in mind the state
in which they were,, previous to their embracing the
Gospel. The difference between the Jews and Gen
tiles was great ; yet scarcely greater than that
between the nominal and the real Christian. The
nominal Christian, though possessed of many exter
nal advantages, is, with respect to the spiritual enjoy
ment of them, on a level with the heathen ; or
rather, I should say, below the heathen, inasmuch as
his abuse of those advantages has entailed upon him
the deeper guilt. We may therefore apply to the
unconverted Christians what St. Paul speaks of the
Ephesians in their unconverted state ; " They are
without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth
of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of pro
mise, having no hope, and without God in the
world a." From this state however they are deli
vered, as soon as they truly believe in Christ. They
are then, as my text expresses it, f( no more stran
gers and foreigners, but fellow -citizens with the
saints, and of the household of God." The exalted
state to which they are brought is represented by
the Apostle under two distinct metaphors : they are
made,
I. The people of God, amongst whom he dwells—
They are "fellow-citizens with the saints" —
2102.] EXALTED PRIVILEGES OF TRUE CHRISTIANS. 313
[Bodies that are incorporated, whether in cities, boroughs,
or societies of any kind, have their peculiar privileges, to
which others who belong not to them are not entitled. Thus
it is with the saints, who are formed into one body in Christ,
and have the most distinguished privileges confirmed to them
by a charter from the court of heaven. That charter is the
Gospel, in which all their immunities and all their claims are
fully described. What externally belonged to the Jewish
nation at large, is internally and spiritually made over to
them : " to them belong the adoption, and the glory, and the
covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God,
and the promises b :" yes, all that God has revealed in his
Gospel, all that he has promised to his believing people, all
that he has engaged to them in his everlasting covenant, all
that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob enjoyed on earth, and all that
they now possess in heaven, all without exception is theirs ;
"All things are theirs when they are Christ's." They are
" citizens of no mean city," seeing that " they are come to
Mount Zion, the city of the living Godc :" and whatever per
tains to that is the lot of their inheritance.]
They are also " of the household of God"-
[As in the days of old there was an outer court for the
Gentiles, and an inner court into which the native servants and
children of Jehovah were privileged to enter, so now believers
have access to God as his more immediate children and ser
vants. They go in and out before him with a liberty unknown
to the natural man ; they hear his voice ; they enjoy his pro
tection ; they subsist from day to day by the provision which
he assigns them : the family to which they belong comprehends
" an innumerable company of angels, and the general assembly
and Church of the first-born which are written in heaven,"
together with myriads who are yet on their way to Zion : but
all regard him as their common Head, their Lord, their Master,
their Father and their Friend.]
Exalted as this privilege is, it is far surpassed by
that which is contained under that other metaphor,
II. The temple wherein he dwells—
The whole body of true believers is the temple of
the living God—
[Their foundation properly is Christ. But, in the text,
the Church is said to be "built on the foundation of the
Apostles and Prophets," because they with one voice testified
of Christ ; and on their testimony the Church is built. This
t> Rom. ix. 4. «•' Heb. xii. 22.
314 EPHESIANS, II. 19—22. [2102.
is the import of what our Saviour said to Peter ; " Thou art
Peter, and on this rock will I build my Church :" he did not
mean, that he would build it on the person of Peter, but on
the testimony of Peter just before delivered, namely, that
" Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living Godd." Of the
Church Christ is also " the chief corner-stone," which, whilst
it supports the building, connects the parts of it together, and
gives it stability through the whole remaining superstructure.
The building raised on this foundation consists of " living
stones6," all selected by sovereign grace, and with unerring
wisdom " fitly framed together," so as mutually to confirm and
strengthen one another, and collectively to constitute an edifice
for the Lord. Various degrees of labour are bestowed on
these, according to the situation they are to occupy. Some,
which are designed for a more conspicuous place in that build
ing, have many strokes : others, which have a less honourable
place assigned them, are sooner and more easily brought to
the measure of perfection which is necessary for them.
But, in all, this work is carried on silently, and in a way
unnoticed by the world around them. As in the temple of
Solomon, " every stone was made ready before it was brought
thither, so that there was neither hammer, nor axe, nor any
tool of iron, heard in the house while it was in building f;" so
it is in this spiritual building : every stone is fitted in secret :
the work is carried on in each, without attracting the notice
and observation of men: but all will at last be found so
precisely fitted for their respective stations, as to demonstrate
the infinite skill and unerring wisdom of the Divine Architect.]
The end for which this structure is raised, is, the
inhabitation of the Deity —
[For this end fresh converts are " added to the Church
daily, even such as shall be saved." For this end the work is
carried on and perfected in the heart of every individual be
liever. For this end all the means of grace, like the scaffold
ing, are continued, till the whole shall have received its final
completion. For this end the Holy Spirit is imparted to all,
so that all are compacted together, standing firm on the one
foundation, and united to each other by indissoluble bonds.
And at last the Deity shall take possession of it, as he did in
the days of Solomon, when by the bright cloud he filled the
house, so that the priest could no longer stand to minister
before himg.
In all this honour every saint partakes. Every one, even in
his individual capacity, is a temple of the Lordh, and has the
d Matt. xvi. 16—18. e 1 Pet. ii. 4, 5. f 1 Kings vi. 7-
s 1 Kings viii. 10, 11. »> 1 Cor. vi. 19.
2102.] EXALTED PRIVILEGES OF TRUE CHRISTIANS. 315
Spirit of God dwelling in him'. " In his heart Ch'rist dwells
by faith k :" and, through the effectual operation of the Holy
Spirit, " he grows continually, unto the measure of the
stature of the fulness of Christ." Yes, this honour has the
Church at large ; and this honour have all the saints of every
successive age.]
REFLECTIONS —
1. How thankful should we be for such inestimable
privileges !
[Believers, whoever ye are, ye were once lying in the
quarry, as insensible as any that are still there. It was not by
any agency of yours, no, nor for any superior goodness in you,
that ye were taken thence ; but purely by God's power, for
the praise of the glory of his own grace. He it is that
has made the difference between you and others, between you
also and your former selves. O ! " look unto the rock, whence
ye have been hewn, and to the hole of the pit, whence ye
have been digged." Never forget what ye once were, or what
ye would still have continued to be, if God, of his own. good
pleasure, had not brought you thence, and made you what ye
now are.
Be thankful also for the means which God, of his own
infinite mercy, is yet using with you, to carry on and perfect
his work in your souls. If ye have many strokes of the ham
mer, complain not of it: you have not one too many, not one
that could be spared, if you are to occupy aright the place
ordained for you. Lie meekly and submissively before your
God ; and let him perfect his work in his own way.
And contemplate the end for which you are destined, even " to
be an habitation of God, through the Spirit," to all eternity !
Shall not this prospect make you " joyful in all your tribu
lation ?" Shall so much as an hour pass, and you not give
praise and thanksgiving to your God ? Look forward to the
end, even to " this grace that shall be given you at the
appearing of Jesus Christ ;" and beg of your God and Saviour
not to intermit his work one single moment, till you are ren
dered completely meet for the station you are to hold, and the
honour you are to enjoy in the eternal world.]
2. How studious should we be to walk worthy of
them !
[This improvement of our privileges we should never
overlook : it is the use which the inspired writers continually
teach us to make of them. Are we the temples of the Holy
Ghost? we must be far removed from all connexion with
1 John xiv. 17, 23. k Eph. iii. 17.
316 EPHESIANS, III. 10. [2103.
ungodly men l - - and from all hateful and polluting
passions m And in us must be offered up continually
the sacrifices of prayer and praise" ; from which " God will
smell a sweet odour," and by which he will eternally be
glorified. Surely " holiness becomes God's house for ever;"
and " this is the law of the house," that every part of it, and
its very precincts, even to " its utmost limits, should be
holy0." Labour then for this. Consider "what manner of
persons ye ought to be in all holy conversation and god
liness:" and, as every vessel of the sanctuary was holy, so let
your every action, your every word, your every thought, be
such as becometh your high calling and your heavenly des
tination.]
1 2 Cor. vi. 16, 17. m 1 Cor. iii. 16, 17-
n 1 Pet. ii. 4, 5. ° Ezek. xliii. 12.
EPHESIANS, III. 8.
See Sermons on 1 Tim. i. 11. where it forms the SECOND
Sermon of a series.
MMCIII.
ANGELS MADE WISER BY THE GOSPEL.
Eph. iii. 10. To the intent that now unto the principalities
and powers in heavenly places might be known by the Church
the manifold ivisdom of God.
CHRISTIANITY is altogether a deep stupendous
mystery ; such as could never have entered into the
mind of man ; such as never could have been devised
by the highest archangel in heaven. Even subor
dinate parts of it, such as, the calling of the Gentiles,,
and the uniting of them in one Church with the
Jewish people, are spoken of under this character,
even as a " mystery, which in other ages was not
made known unto the sons of men, as it is now
revealed unto his holy Apostles and Prophets by the
Spirit; even that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs,
and of the same body, and partakers of his promise
in Christ by the Gospel." Indeed, so mysterious
was this particular appointment in the eyes of the
2103.] ANGELS MADE WISER BY THE GOSPEL. 317
Apostle Paul, that, in the contemplation of it, he
exclaimed, " O the depth of the riches both of the
wisdom and knowledge of God ! how unsearchable
are his judgments, and his ways past finding outa!"
It is upon that subject primarily that the Apostle is
speaking in the whole preceding context. He de
clares himself to have been expressly ordained by
God as " a preacher to the Gentiles," that, through
him " all men," not Jews only, but Gentiles also,
might " see what was the fellowship of the mystery,
which from the beginning of the world hath been hid
in God, to the intent that now unto the angels also
might be known by the Church the manifold wisdom
of God." Here the mystery which he refers to is the
Gospel, in which are contained " the unsearchable
riches of Christ," and in which also is pre-eminently
displayed " the manifold wisdom of God."
In unfolding this great subject, I shall endeavour,
as God may help me, to set forth,
I. The manifold wisdom of God, as exhibited in the
Gospel —
Verily, it is wonderfully displayed,
1. In making salvation possible —
[As far as any finite intelligence could see, it was impos
sible for man to be saved, when once he had transgressed the
law of God : for the honour of God's law demanded the
execution of its sanctions on those who had violated its com
mands. Divine justice must be satisfied ; nor could it in any
way relax its claims of vengeance. The truth of God, also,
was pledged to inflict on man the penalty of death ; nor could
the decree, once passed, be in any wise rescinded. What then
could be done ? Shall mercy triumph at the expense of all
the other perfections of God ? Shall it be said, that God has
no regard for the honour of his law, for the rights of justice,
for the sacredness of truth? Shall the holy God be thus
divested of the attribute of holiness, in order that unholy
beings may escape the sentence which, by their iniquities,
they have incurred ? It cannot be : yet how shall man be
saved without it ? Here the wisdom of Almighty God found
out an expedient, which should at once solve every difficulty,
a Rom. xi. 33.
SIS EPHESIANS, III. 10. [2103.
and open a way for the exercise of mercy, in perfect con
sistency with every other perfection of the Deity. A surety
shall be found ; a substitute for sinful man ; one, by whose
obedience the law should be honoured ; by whose sufferings,
also, justice shall have its claims fully satisfied ; by executing
the penalty of transgression upon whom, as the representative
of our fallen race, shall truth be kept inviolate ; and the holi
ness of the Deity shall not be tarnished, even though the
sinner be re-admitted to the bosom of his God. This one
point of substitution clears the whole. But how can this be?
To stand in man's place, he must be a man ; and, to render
his substitution available for the whole race of mankind, he
must be possessed of infinite dignity and worth. Both these
things combined in the substitute that Divine wisdom pro
vided. God's co-equal, co-eternal Son was sent to take our
nature upon him ; and, in that nature, to obey the law which
we had broken, and to endure the penalty which we had
incurred. Thus was salvation brought within the reach of
fallen man.]
2. In devising a salvation suitable to man—
[Desperate, beyond measure, was the state of man. Not
the fallen angels themselves were more incapable of restoring
themselves to the favour of their God, than he. But in the
provision which Divine wisdom made for him was every want
supplied. Was he laden with guilt ? it shall be removed by
a sacrifice. Was he lying under a curse ? he shall be deli
vered from the curse, by one " becoming a curse for him." Did
he need a righteousness wherein to stand before God? a
righteousness shall be wrought out for him, and imputed to
him. Is he, by reason of his natural depravity, incapable of
enjoying God's presence, or of doing his will ? A new nature
shall be given him, and, " through the strength of Christ, he
shall be enabled to do all things b." Is he unable to do any
thing whereby he shall merit any of these things ? they shall
all be given to him freely, " without money and without
price0." Is he, even when restored, unable to keep himself?
the Lord Jesus Christ shall " carry on and perfect in him the
work he has begun d." May that enemy, who assaulted and
ruined him in Paradise, yet prevail over him again ? " his life
shall be hid with Christ in God," beyond the reach of harm ;
so that when Christ, who is his life, shall appear, he " shall be
secured to appear with him in glory6." Nor is this salvation
suited to man's necessities in its provisions only, or in the free-
ness with which it is bestowed : the means by which it shall
b Phil. iv. 13. c Isai. Iv. 1.
d Phil. i. 6. e Col. iii. 3, 4.
2103.] ANGELS MADE WISER BY THE GOSPEL. 319
be communicated are also precisely such as his necessities re
quire : he has nothing to do, but simply to look to Christ by
faith ; and all these blessings shall flow down into his soul pre
cisely as health did into the bodies of the dying Israelites, the
very instant they looked to the brazen serpent. The only
difference between them shall be, that, whereas the Israelites
looked but once, and had their health completely restored,
the sinner must look to Jesus continually, and derive from him
such gradual and progressive communications as his necessities
require. All " this, I say, is by faith, that it may be by grace,
and that the promise may be sure to all the seedf."]
3. Iri appointing a salvation so conducive to his
own glory —
[By this wonderful device, the substitution of God's only
dear Son in the place of sinners, God not only prevented any
dishonour accruing to himself by the exercise of mercy, but
actually secured more glory to himself than he ever could
have derived from any other source. Justice would doubt
less have been honoured, if the whole human race had been
consigned over to the curse which they had merited. But
how much more was justice honoured, when God's co-equal,
co-eternal Son was subjected to its stroke; not because he had
committed sin himself, but because he had taken upon him the
sins of others ! How highly was it honoured, when not the
smallest measure of its claims could be set aside ; but Jesus, as
our representative, was constrained to pay the utmost farthing
of our debt, before one single soul could be liberated from its
obligations to punishment ! And how was the law honoured !
It would have been honoured, indeed, by the obedience of
man : but how was it honoured by having God himself, in an
incarnate state, subjected to its dominion ; and by the deter
mination, that not any child of man should ever be saved,
except by pleading Christ's obedience to the law, as his only
ground of hope ! Well does the prophet say, " He hath mag
nified the law, and made it honourable g." As for holiness,
O how bright it shines, in this mysterious dispensation. Not
a sinner shall be saved, that does not acknowledge his desert
of everlasting perdition ; and that has not a perfect righteous
ness wherein to appear before God; or that does not plead
for mercy at the Saviour's hands as much for the smallest de
fect in his best deeds, as for the most flagrant transgression
that he ever committed. I may add, too, that truth is no less
honoured, seeing that, rather than there should be the smallest
departure from it, God's only dear Son should have its utmost
denunciations fulfilled in him, and not a sinner be saved, who
f Rom. iv. 10. P Isai. xlii. 21.
320 EPHESIANS, III. 10. [2103.
did not plead this very execution of God's judgments as the
reason for their being averted from himself.
May we not, in the review of these things, adopt the lan
guage of the Apostle, and say, " O the depths ! " Verily this
" wisdom is manifold;" and in this salvation are " hid all the
treasures of wisdom and knowledge11."]
But my text,, whilst it speaks of the wisdom con
tained in the Gospel, leads me particularly to
declare,,
II. The instruction which the angels themselves de
rive from the revelation of it to the Church—
The angels, from the first moment of their crea
tion, saw much of God : but of him, as exhibited in
the Gospel, they could have no conception, till that
fuller revelation of him was given to the Church.
Then the angels began to see.
1. The extent of his perfections—
[They had seen his wisdom, power, and goodness, in the
works of creation. They themselves, indeed, were bright
monuments of these perfections. The justice of God, too,
they had beheld in very awful colours, in the judgments in
flicted on myriads of their fellows, who were once as holy and
as happy as themselves. They had seen in what profusion
love had poured its blessings on the innocent. But could it
extend to the guilty? Could it extend so far as to send his
only-begotten Son to stand in the place of the guilty, and
to bear their punishment? Impossible! Shew love to the
guilty, and anger to the innocent? yea, and shew anger to
the innocent, as the only way of shewing love to the guilty?
It could not be : it must be abhorrent from the very soul of
a holy God so to act. Yet, behold, Divine Wisdom did so
ordain to act. But how could Justice concur in this? Can
that be brought to execute vengeance on one that is innocent,
for the sake of sparing others that were guilty? Methinks
that the sword, if seized for such an end, would fall from the
very hands of Justice, and refuse to do its office. Yet did
Justice proceed thus far, and not suffer Mercy to prevail in
behalf of any child of man, till its claims were thus satisfied
by the sinner's Surety. We may conceive, that, from what
they had seen of the goodness of God, they would believe
him ready to exercise mercy, on a supposition it were com
patible with his honour in all other respects: but that he
h Col. ii. 3.
2103.] ANGELS MADE WISER BY THE GOSPEL. 3#1
should devise such means for the exercise of mercy, and be
capable of carrying those means into effect, they could never
have imagined. Yet, in the provisions of the Gospel they
beheld all this, not only contemplated, but carried into effect.
We wonder not, that, on attaining such views of the Deity,
they sang, " Glory to God in the highest;" for, verily,
" great is the mystery of godliness, God was manifest in
the flesh1."]
2. The harmony of his perfections —
[Of this there was not a trace in all the universe besides.
But here " mercy and truth met together, righteousness and
peace kissed each other V Here that was visible, which the
prism of the philosopher discovers in the rays of light. There
are, in light, rays of a more sombre hue, as well as others
that are more brilliant ; and it is the perfect union and simul
taneous motion of them all that constitutes perfect light.
Such light is God himself. His perfections are various, and
of a diversified, though not of an opposite, aspect. But they
all combine in Christ, " in whose face is seen the light of the
knowledge of the glory of God1." Yes, he is " the brightness
of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person111."
In this mysterious dispensation, they saw not only every per
fection of the Deity exercised so as not to interfere with each
other, but every perfection of the Deity, that was most adverse
to the sinner's welfare, made his most strenuous friend and
advocate. Justice, which had demanded the execution of
the penalty upon him, now demands his liberation from it;
because every thing that justice could require has been done
by the sinner's Substitute and Surety. If, in human judi
catures, justice require a debtor to be sent to prison, it pleads
no less powerfully for his liberation from prison, the very
instant that his debt is paid. And exactly thus is Justice
itself now become the sinner's friend. In like manner, truth
and holiness are also friendly to the happiness of man ; because
they demand for him the execution of every engagement that
has been made in their behalf by God, with their great Head
and Representative, the Lord Jesus Christ. How infinitely
was this beyond the conception of the angelic powers, before
it was revealed to the Church ! But by the Gospel, into
which they are continually searching, they have obtained the
knowledge of it. St. Peter, speaking of this very salvation,
says, " Which things the angels desire to look into"." In the
most holy place of the temple there were, the ark, which
contained the law; and the mercy-seat upon the ark; and two
5 1 Tim. iii. 16. k Ps. Ixxxv. 10. i 2 Cor. iv. 6.
'" lleb. i. «. " 1 Pot. i. 12.
VOL. XV I. V
322 EPHESIANS, III. 10. [2103.
cherubim upon the mercy-seat, bending down, in order to
search into the mysteries contained in it0. The great mystery
there shadowed forth was, the Lord Jesus Christ (the true
Ark), containing in himself, and having fulfilled for us, the
law : and God the Father, extending mercy to all (for the
mercy-seat was of exactly the same dimensions as the ark)
who should come to him by Christ. This mystery they saw
unravelled when Christ came into the world, and executed his
high office for the salvation of man. But in it there are yet
depths utterly unexplored, even by the highest archangel ;
and the wonders of wisdom and love contained in it will be
more and more unfolded, as long as there shall continue any
portion of that mystery unfulfilled.]
3. The felicity arising from this exercise of his
perfections —
[When man fell, the angels could expect no other than
that the fate of the fallen angels would be his. But, when
a salvation was revealed, whereby millions, numerous as the
sands upon the sea-shore, shall be restored to God, with what
surprise and joy must those benevolent beings be penetrated!
We are told, that even " one sinner turning" with penitential
sorrow to his God causes joy throughout all the angelic hosts.
What then must they have felt, when this mystery, whereby
•millions of millions shall be saved, was revealed ! How must
they be transported with joy at the continual increase of the
Lord's people on earth, and the constant influx of perfected
saints to the regions of bliss, and the consequent augmentation
of the choir, by whom praise is continually ascribed to God
and to the Lamb ! Nor is their surprise a little heightened
by this, that whereas, if men had continued upright, they
would have possessed a glory commensurate only with a crea
ture s righteousness, they are now clothed with the righteous
ness of their Creator himself, and put into possession of a
glory and felicity proportioned to it. With what amazement
must the whole of this dispensation fill them !
Besides, their own happiness is also greatly augmented by
this : for though they have never sinned, and therefore derive
not salvation from Christ, as we do, their views of the Deity
are marvellously enlarged : and, as their happiness, from
necessity, arises from beholding the glory of God, it must have
been increased in proportion as their knowledge of this mys
tery has been enlarged. All this they had yet to learn, before
that salvation was proclaimed to man : but, by the revelation
of it to the Church, they have been instructed in it; and their
views of it, and blessedness arising from it, will yet be more
210f3.] ANGELS MADE WISER BY THE GOSPEL. 323
and more enlarged, till the " mystery itself be finished," and
every redeemed soul be perfected in bliss.]
From this wonderful subject we may SEE,
1. What guilt they contract who pervert the
Gospel of Christ—
[A blending of any thing with the merits of Christ is, as
St. Paul informs us, a substitution of " another Gospel" in
the place of that which is revealed ; or rather, it is "a per
version of the Gospel of Christp." And how many are there
who are guilty of this? In fact, it is with the utmost difficulty
that any one is kept from this sin. All are ready to lean to
their own righteousness, and, in one way or other, to look to
themselves for something to recommend them to God, and
to entitle them to his favour. But, whoever does this, makes
the cross of Christ of none effect q. Shall this declaration be
thought harsh? Look then, and see what this conduct does:
see what contempt it pours on the wisdom of God, and on all
that he has done for the salvation of man. See how it dis
honours and denies every perfection of the Deity. In blending
any thing of our own with the work of Christ, we deny that
justice was so inexorable, or holiness so immaculate, or truth
so inviolate, or mercy itself so great, as the Gospel represents:
and we assert, in opposition to it all, that man, with all his
infirmities, can by his own good works lay a foundation for
boasting before God. Brethren, this is, of all sins, most venial
in the sight of man, but most hateful in the sight of God.
Nor is this without reason : for other sins withstand only the
authority of God; whereas this makes void all the counsels of his
love, and all the purposes of his grace. I say then to you, as
the Apostle does, that whoever he be that entertains in him
self, or encourages in others, such a conceit as this, must be
accursed ; yea, " though he were an angel from heaven, I
repeat it, he must, and shall be, accursed1."]
2. What folly they commit who neglect it—
[The angels are not interested in this mystery as we are :
yet, behold, how earnest they are in searching into it! Yet,
to the generality of those who call themselves Christians, it is
little better than " a cunningly-devised fable." Methinks, if
men were fond of science of any kind, they might be expected
to find pleasure in this : for there is no mystery so deep, there
is none so certain, there is none which will so richly repay the
labour of investigation, as this. This observation I should
make, if this mystery were merely a matter for speculation
P Gal. i. fi, 7. i Rom. iv. 14. Gal. v. 2, 4. r Gal. i. 8, 0.
v 2
324 EPHESIANS, III. 10. [2103.
and research. But it is not to be regarded by any one in
that light : it is not a subject to occupy the meditations of a
theorist, but to engage the devoutest affections of the soul.
It is our very life : it is that in which the eternal welfare of
our souls is bound ups. It prescribes the only possible way of
acceptance with God : and he who will not walk in that way,
not only renounces all hope of heaven, but plunges himself
infallibly into all the miseries of hell. Dear brethren, awake
to your duty : awake to your most urgent and important
interests : and let the salvation of Christ become the one
object of your pursuit. You perceive that St. Paul was sent
to preach, that " ALL MEN " might know the fellowship of this
mystery. Seek, then, to answer the ends for which it is trans
mitted to you in the written word, and the ends for which it
is preached to you by every minister of Christ.]
3. What happiness is reserved for the saints in
heaven —
[The happiness of the holy angels consists mainly in this,
in singing, " Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive
power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and
glory, and blessing1." And how much more must this be the
case, with those who can say, " He hath loved us, and washed
us from our sins in his own blood u! " There can be no doubt
but that our happiness will consist in contemplating all the
wonders of Christ's love, and in beholding the glory of God's
perfections as displayed in the great mystery of redemption.
And if here, in this world, a little glimpse of Christ is sufficient
to fill us " with joy unspeakable and glorified," what must a
full discovery of his glory effect upon our souls ? Here even
Paul himself saw Christ only " as in a glass darkly :" but in
heaven, the least and meanest of the saints shall behold him
" face to face." Shall we not, then, long for the time when
we shall be translated to that blissful place, where we shall
have the full vision of his glory, and see him as we are seen,
and "know him as we are known*?" Let us, then, contem
plate this blissful scene, till we have already obtained Pisgah
views of its excellency, and foretastes of its blessedness. And,
whatever hastens us to that land, or prepares us for it, let us
welcome it from our inmost souls ; " looking for, and hasting
unto, the coming of the day of Christ ;" that " when his
glory shall be revealed, we may rejoice before him with ex
ceeding joyy."]
s Dent, xxxii. 47. * Rev. v. 11, 12. u Rev. i. 5.
* 1 Cor. xiii. 12. > 1 Pet. iv. 13.
2104.] PRAYER BRINGS THE RICHEST BLESSINGS. 325
MMCIV.
PRAYER THE MEANS OF THE RICHEST BLESSINGS.
Eph. iii. 14 — 19. For this cause I bow my knees unto the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family
in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you,
according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with
might by his Spirit in the inner man ; that Christ may dwell
in your hearts oy faith ; that ye, being rooted and grounded
in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the
breadth, and length, and depth, and height ; and to know the
love of Christ, ivhich passeth knowledge, that ye might be
filled with all the fulness of God.
MANY who espouse the cause of religion when it
is in flourishing circumstances, are apt to decline
from it when their profession exposes them to any
great trouble. The Ephesians had heard of Paul's
imprisonment at Rome, and were in danger of turn
ing from the faith through the fear of persecution.
St. Paul cautions them against being intimidated by
the tribulations which he endured for their sakes ;
and assures them, that they ought rather to consider
it as an honour, that their cause had been so vigo
rously maintained by him; and that he was suffering
persecution for asserting their rights in opposition to
the bigoted and blood-thirsty Jews. Precluded as he
was from prosecuting his ministerial labours for their
good, he spent the more time in prayer for them.
This was a liberty of which none could deprive him :
yea, rather, the more his body was confined, the
more his spirit was enlarged on their behalf. He
considered them as members of the same family with
all the Church militant and Church triumphant, of
which Christ is the Head ; and, with the profoundest
reverence and humility, he implored for them all
those blessings which he desired for himself, and
which were suited to their state :
I. The strengthening communications of the Spirit—
[The first blessing which a child of God would desire, is
strength ; because he longs as much to execute his Father's
will, as he does to enjoy his favour. The occasions on which
326 EPHESIANS, 111. 14—19. [2104.
lie needs an increase of strength, are many and urgent. He
has man}7 trials to endure ; many temptations to withstand ;
many duties to perform : and in himself he is insufficient for
any one of these things. But " God will give his Holy Spirit
unto them that ask him." He will " strengthen us in our
inner man," so that our wills shall be active, our affections
lively, our resolutions firm, our exertions effectual. It is no
small measure of " might with which he will strengthen us :"
the greater our necessities, the more abundant will be his
liberality towards us : he will bestow " according to the riches
of his own glory :" so that, if the utmost efforts of Omni
potence were necessary for us, they should be put forth in our
behalf; and God's own ability should be the measure of his
communications to us.]
II. An abiding sense of Christ's presence—
[" The believer longs to enjoy the presence of God in his
soul, because he finds by experience that the " joy of the Lord
is his strength." Nor shall he be disappointed of his hope, if
lie only spread his desires in prayer before God. There is no
habitation, not even heaven itself, in which Christ more de
lights to dwell, than in the heart of a believer. He has pro
mised to " come and make his abode with his people," as he
did of old in the tabernacle and temple, or as he did in the
ilesh that he assumed. In them he will exert his power ; and
to them he will reveal his glory : he will " manifest himself to
them, as he does not unto the world."
But, in order to bring him into the soul, we must exercise
faith. It is faith that apprehends, and pleads his promise : it
is faith that brings him down from heaven : it is faith which
opens the door of the heart for his admission into it : it is faith
which detains him there ; and which gives us a realizing sense
of his presence. It is by prayer that we must obtain this
blessing, and by faith that we must enjoy it.]
III. An enlarged discovery of his love—
[The presence of Christ in the soul is desired, in order to
a more lively sense of his love. Now " the love of Christ has
a breadth and length, a depth and height," which are utterly
unsearchable a: it extends to the remotest corners of the earth :
it reaches " from everlasting to everlasting :" it descends to the
very confines of hell itself, and exalts to thrones of glory
those who are its favoured objects. In its full extent, it
" passes the knowledge " of men or angels ; but in a measure
a Properly speaking, nothing has more than three dimensions ;
length, breadth, and thickness. The Apostle divides the last into two,
in order the more strongly to express his idea.
2104.J PRAYER BRINGS THE RICHEST BLESSINGS. 327
it is "comprehended by all the saints." Men's capacity to
comprehend it, is proportioned to their growth and stature in
the Church of Christ : those who are but infants, have only
narrow and contracted views of it ; while those who are
advanced to manhood, stand amazed at its immeasurable
dimensions.
But in order that we " may be able to comprehend it," we
ourselves should be "rooted and grounded in love" to him.
As a sense of his love is necessary to beget a holy affection in
us towards him, so a love to him disposes our mind to con
template, and enlarges our capacity to comprehend, his love to
us. Each in its turn is subservient to the promotion of the
other : but under circumstances of trial, which endanger the
steadfastness of our profession, we are more especially called to
have our love to him " rooted and grounded," so as to be
immoveable amidst all the storms with which it may be
assailed: arid then, from every exercise of our own love, we
shall acquire a greater enlargement of heart to admire and
adore his love to us.]
IV. A repletion with all the fulness of God—
[The Apostle's prayer rises at every successive step, till he
arrives at a height of expression, which, if it had not been dic
tated by inspiration, one should have been ready to condemn as
blasphemy. Amazing thought ! May we offer such a petition
as this? Yes: there is indeed in the Deity an essential
fulness, which is incommunicable to his creatures : but there
is also a fulness which he does and will communicate b. In
him are all the perfections of wisdom and goodness, of justice
and mercy, of patience and love, of truth and faithfulness :
and with these he will " fill " his people, according to the
measure of their capacity ; so that they shall be " holy as he
is holy, and perfect as their Father which is in heaven is
perfect." If any possess but a small portion of his perfec
tions, it is owing to their being " straitened in themselves ; for
none are straitened in him."
But how is this to be attained? Will repentance effect it?
No. Will mortification procure it ? No : that which alone
will avail for this end, is an enlarged discovery of the love of
Christ ; and therefore the Apostle prays for the one in order
to the other. Indeed, high thoughts of a creature's kindness
to us have a natural tendency to produce in us a resemblance
to him : but a sense of Christ's love has an irresistible in
fluence0 to transform us into his image, and to "fill us with
all his fulness."]
Oeorrjrur we cannot have, Col. ii. 9. This is -rrXt'ipuifia
c 2 Cor. v. 11.
EPHESIANS, III. 14—19. [2104.
REFLECTIONS—
1. How much do the saints in general live below
their privileges !
[Who that is conversant with the religious world, would
imagine that such things as are mentioned in the text were
ever to be attained ? One is complaining of his weakness and
insufficiency; another, of his darkness and distance from
Christ : one is harassed with doubts and fears ; another be
wails his emptiness and the prevalence of sin. Alas ! alas !
how different would be their experience, if they were more
constant and importunate in prayer ! What strength and com
fort, what light and holiness, might they not enjoy ! Beloved
brethren, do but contemplate the state to which the Ephesians
were taught to aspire, and you will blush at your low attain
ments, and be confounded before God for your partial ac
quaintance with his mercies.]
2. How rich is the benefit of prayer !
[There is nothing for which " effectual and fervent prayer
will not avail d." However " wide we open our mouths, God
will fill them6." We may search out all the promises in the
Bible, and take them, like notes of hand, for payment : our
God will never refuse what is good for us : his generosity is
unwearied, his faithfulness inviolate, his treasury inexhaustible.
O that there were in us such a heart, that we could go to him
at all times, renewing our petitions, and taking occasion, from
every fresh grant, to enlarge our desires, and be more impor
tunate in our entreaties ! Beyond the Apostle's request we
cannot perhaps extend our conceptions : but short of them we
would not stop. Ambition here is virtue. Let no strength
but omnipotence, content us : no presence but the actual dwel
ling of Christ in our hearts, satisfy us : no view of his love but
a comprehension of it in all its dimensions, limit our re
searches : nor any communication short of all the fulness of
God, allay our appetite for his blessings.]
d Jam. v. 16. e Ps. Ixxxi. 10.
EPHESIANS, III. 18, 19.
See Sermons on I Tim. i. 1 1. zviiere it forms the FOURTH
Sermon of a series.
2105.] GOD'S POWER TO BLESS HIS PEOPLE. 329
MMCV.
GOD'S POWER TO BLESS HIS PEOPLE.
Eph. iii. 20, 21. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding
abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the
power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the Church by
Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
MAN is a dependent creature, and therefore
should be instant in prayer : but he is also a crea
ture infinitely indebted to his God, and therefore he
should abound also in thanksgiving. The Apostle's
direction to us is, that " in every thing, by prayer
and supplication, with thanksgiving, we should make
our requests known unto Goda." This rule he him
self observed, as well in relation to those for whom
he interceded, as for himself. He has been pouring
out his heart before God on behalf of the Church at
Ephesus ; and he concludes the prayer with that
animated doxology which we have just read.
It is our intention to consider,
I. His representation of the Deity-
God has given a wonderful display of his omnipo
tence in the visible creation : and he is ever ready to
exert it in the behalf of those who call upon him.
There is no limit to his power to bless his people —
[We may ask what we will, and he will do it for usb. We
may " ask" for the pardon of all our sins, the supply of all our
wants, and for support in all our conflicts ; and he will grant
our requests. We may then bring forth all the promises in
the Bible, and " ask" for the fulfilment of them all to our
souls : and they also shall be granted. We may then collect
all the most comprehensive expressions that language can
afford us, and offer them in prayer before him ; and still his
liberality will keep pace with our petitions.
After having exhausted all the powers of language, we may
proceed to stretch our imaginations beyond the limits of dis
tinct and accurate conception : and, provided the things be
proper for him to give, and for us to receive, he can, and will,
bestow them. He will do for us not onlv what we ask, but
a Phil. iv. G. b John xv. 7.
330 EPHESIANS, 111. 20, 21. [2105.
what we " think;" he will do it " all" and "above" all, and
" abundantly" above all, yea, " exceeding" abundantly above
all that we can ask or think.
What a glorious view does this give us of the power and
goodness of our God !]
The works which he has already wrought in us,
are a specimen and pledge of what he will yet do for
us —
[Let us survey what he has done, and is doing, in every
one of his saints. He has quickened a dead soul. This is as
great a work as that which he performed in raising Christ from
the dead, and setting him above all the principalities and
powers of earth, of hell, of heaven ; and, in that view, it dis
plays the exceeding greatness of his power c.
He has turned the tide of our affections lack again to the
fountain head. They were flowing with an irresistible current
towards the creature ; and God has arrested them in their
course, and caused them to flow with rapidity and strength
towards himself. We admire this phenomenon in rivers near
the sea : but the spiritual change is an incomparably greater
display of omnipotence than that ; it is nothing less than a new
creation d.
He preserves a spark alive in the midst of the ocean. What
is the principle of grace within us, but a spark of heavenly fire
kindled in us by the Spirit of God? But, instead of finding
any thing in the heart to keep it alive, it meets with every
thing calculated to repress its ardour. Yet though immersed,
as it were, in an ocean of corruption, it maintains its vigour,
and burns brighter in proportion to the efforts made for its
extinction.
He has taken " a brand out of the burning" and is fitting it
for a conspicuous ornament in his temple. We are in ourselves
only like branches of a vine, of which " no use can be made,
not even a pin to hang any vessel thereon6:" moreover, we
still bear the marks of the fire upon us : yet is God forming
and polishing us, that we may be an ornament to heaven
itself: so that, when we appear there, the Workman shall be
both " admired in us, and glorified in usf."
These things shew " the power which now worketh in us,
according to which " God will exert himself in future. What
he has done, and is yet doing, is an earnest of what he will
do : it is the commencement of that work which will be per
fected in glory.]
c Eph. i. 18, 19. d 2 Cor. v. 17.
e Ezek. xv. 3, A. f 2 Thess. i. 10.
2105.] GOD'S POWER TO BLESS HIS PEOPLE. 331
On this delightful view of the Deity the Apostle
grounds,
II. His doxology—
That we may have a just and comprehensive view
of this, let us consider,
1. What is that "glory" which is due to God —
[We certainly must not limit the word " glory" to the
mere idea of praise. We must understand it as corresponding
with the fore-mentioned character of God ; and as importing
admiration, entreaty, confidence, thanksgiving.
We cannot contemplate the power and goodness of God,
without being filled with admiration and love. Instead of
giving him glory, we should dishonour him in the highest
degree, if we did not adopt the language of the Psalmist,
" Who in the heavens can be compared unto the Lord ?
Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the
Lord ? O Lord God of Hosts, who is a strong Lord like unto
And to what purpose do we admire God's power to bless
his people, if we do not present before him our entreaties ? It
is in vain that we confess him able to answer and exceed our
petitions, if we do not carry to him our sins to be forgiven,
and our wants to be supplied. If we believe that he will fill
our mouths, we cannot but open them wideh.
We must also, under the most trying circumstances, main
tain an unshaken confidence in him, as able and willing to
save. It was by this that Abraham " gave glory to God :"
" He staggered not at the promises through unbelief, but was
strong in faith1," believing, that if he should reduce his beloved
Isaac to ashes, " God was able to raise him up again k," and to
accomplish all that he had spoken respecting him.
As for the offering of thanksgiving, that is the first and most
obvious meaning of the Apostle in the text. We must not
think of God merely as " able" to do such great things, but as
willing also: and for the encouragement which this represen
tation of the Deity affords us, we must bless, and praise, and
magnify his name. The words of the Psalmist are exactly
suited to the occasion ; " Blessed be the Lord God, the God
of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things : and blessed be
his glorious name for ever : and let the whole earth be filled
with his glory. Amen, and Atnen1.]
2. How, and by whom, it should be offered—
6 Ps. Ixxxix. 0, 8. h Ps. Ixxxi. 10. * Rom. iv. 19—21.
k Heb. xi. 17—19. J Ps. Ixxii. 18, 19.
332 EPHESIANS, IV. 1—3. [2106.
[It is " by Jesus Christ" alone that any blessings descend
from God to us : and it is by him that all our services must
ascend to him. However devout and excellent the offering
be, it cannot come to God but by Jesus Christ. It neither
has, nor can have, any merit in itself: it must derive all its
value from the merit of his death, and the virtue of his inter
cession. This is the uniform testimony of the inspired writers™ :
and it is of infinite importance that we should be grounded in
the knowledge of it.
But who are they that are to give him glory? The Apostle
says, " To him be glory in the Church" He does not exclude
the ivorld, as though they had no reason to bless their God ;
but because he knew that they had no disposition to bless
him. They do not pray to him : how then should they receive
answers to prayer? and how should they discover his ability
to exceed our highest thoughts ? But the Church are " a peo
ple nigh unto God11:" they are in the habit of praying to him,
and of receiving answers to their prayers : and they know, by
sweet experience, his power and willingness to save °. They
therefore are disposed to give him glory : and they would
gladly spend eternity itselfp in advancing his honour, and
singing his praise.
And is there one amongst you that does not add, " Amen?"
If there be one such ungrateful wretch, let him know, that
God is as " able to destroy as he is to saveq." But let us hope
rather that all of you are now like-minded with the Apostle,
and that you will go from this place to " praise the Lord, who
hath dealt wondrously with your." Take then with you those
delightful strains of David; " Among the gods there is none
like unto thee, O Lord ; neither are any works like unto thy
works : for thou art great, and doest wondrous things : thou
art God alone8."]
m Heb. xiii. 15. 1 Pet. ii. 5. n Ps. cxlviii. 14.
0 Ps. cxxvi. 3.
P ae Trutrac rac yereac rov al&voQ riijv aluvuv is inimitable : the
force of it cannot be preserved in a translation.
q Jam. iv. 12. r Joel ii. 26. s Ps. Ixxxvi. 8 — 10.
MMCVI.
A CONSISTENT WALK ENJOINED.
Eph. iv. 1 — 3. I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech
you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are
called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long -suffer ing,
forbearing one another in love; endeavouring to keep the
unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
2106.] A CONSISTENT WALK ENJOINED. 33J
THE end of all true religion is practice : and the
perfection of practice is a habit of mind suited to the
relations which we bear to God and man, and to the
circumstances in which from time to time we are
placed. It is not by external acts only that we are
to serve God : the passive virtues of meekness, and
patience, and long-suffering, and forbearance, are
quite as pleasing in his sight, as the most active vir
tues in which we can be engaged. Hence St. Paul,
in entering on the practical part of this epistle,
entreats the Ephesian converts to pay particular
attention to these graces, and to consider them as
the clearest evidences of their sincerity, and the
brightest ornaments of their profession. He was at
this time a prisoner at Rome : but no personal con
siderations occupied his mind. He had no request
to make for himself; no wish for any exertions on
their part to liberate him from his confinement : he
was willing to suffer for his Lord's sake ; and sought
only to make his sufferings a plea, whereby to enforce
the more powerfully on their minds the great subject
which he had at heart, their progressive advance
ment in real piety.
With a similar view we would now draw your
attention to,
I. His general exhortation —
First, let us get a distinct idea of what the Chris
tian's "vocation" is—
[It is a vocation from death to life, from sin to holiness,
from hell to heaven.
Every Christian was once dead in trespasses and sinsa
But he has heard the voice of the Son of God speak
ing to him in the Gospelb and, through the quicken
ing influence of the Holy Spirit, he " has passed from death
unto lifec;" so that, though once he was dead, he is now alive
again ; and though once lost, he is foundd
From the time that he is so quickened, he rises to newness
of life e. Just as his Lord and Saviour " died unto sin once,
but, in that he liveth, liveth unto God," so the Christian is
* Eph. ii. 1. Tit. iii. 3. b John v. 24, 25, 1 Thess. i. 5.
0 1 John iii. 14. d Luke xv. 24. e Rom. vi. 4, 5.
334 EPHESIANS, IV. 1—3. [210(>.
conformed to Christ in this respect, " reckoning himself dead
unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christf." By his
very calling he is " turned from darkness unto light, and from
the power of Satan unto Godg;" and engages to be " holy, even
as God himself is holy h"
Once the believer was a " child of wrath, even as others1;"
and, had he died in his unconverted state, must have perished
for ever. But through the blood of Jesus he is delivered from
the guilt of all his sins, and obtains a title to the heavenly
inheritance Hence he is said to be " called to the
kingdom and glory of his God," and " to the obtaining of the
glory of our Lord Jesus Christ k."
Thus is the Christian's " a high," " a holy," and " a hea
venly calling."]
Such, believer, being thy vocation, thou mayest
easily see what kind of a walk that is which is suited
to it—
[Dost thou profess to have experienced such a call?
" Walk worthy of the" profession which thou makest, the
expectations thou hast formed, and the obligations which are
laid upon thee.
It is not any common measure of holiness that befits a
person professing such things as these. How unsuitable would
it be for one who pretends to have been " born from above,"
to be setting his affections on any thing here below ; or for one
who is " a partaker of the Divine nature," to " walk in any
other way than as Christ himself walked ! "
And, seeing that you " look for a better country, that is,
an heavenly," should you not aspire after it, and " press for
ward towards it, forgetting all the ground you have passed
over, and mindful only of the way that lies before you ?
— Should not " your conversation be in heaven," where
your treasure now is, and where you hope in a little time to
be, in the immediate presence of your God?
If you have indeed been so highly distinguished, should you
not " live no longer to yourselves, but altogether unto Him
who died for you and rose again ?" Should any thing short of
absolute perfection satisfy you? Should you not labour to
" stand perfect and complete in all the will of God1?"
This then is what I would earnestly entreat you all to seek
after, even to walk worthy of your high calling, or rather,
" worthy of the Lord himself," who hath " called you out of
darkness into his marvellous light."]
f Rom. vi. 9—11. g Acts xxvi. 18. h 1 Pet. i. 15, 16.
1 Eph. ii. 2. k 1 Thess. ii. 12. and 2 Thess. ii. 13, 14.
i Col. iv. 12.
2106.] A CONSISTENT WALK ENJOINED. 335
But that we may come more closely to the point,
we will call your attention to,
II. The particular duties he inculcates—
In order to adorn our Christian profession, we
must especially keep in view,
1. The cultivation of holy tempers in ourselves—
[Without this, nothing can ever prosper in our souls.
"Lowliness and meekness" are unostentatious virtues; but
they are of pre-eminent value in the sight of Godm. They
constitute the brightest ornament of " the hidden man of the
heart," which alone engages the regards of the heart-searching
God. In the very first place, therefore, get your souls deeply
impressed with a sense of your own unworthiness, and of
your total destitution of wisdom, or righteousness, or strength,
or any thing that is good. No man is so truly rich as he who
is " poor in spirit ;" no man so estimable in God's eyes, as he
who is most abased in his own. With humility must be .asso
ciated meekness. These two qualities particularly charac
terized our blessed Lord" : of whom we are on that account
encouraged to learn0; and whom in these respects we are
bound to imitate, " having the same mind as was in himp."
Let these dispositions then be cultivated with peculiar care,
according as St. James has exhorted us; " Who is a wise man
and endued with knowledge amongst you? let him shew out of
a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom q."
And whilst we maintain in exercise these graces, let us also
be long-suffering, forbearing one another in love. However
meek and lowly we are in ourselves, it cannot fail but that we
must occasionally meet with things painful from others. The
very graces which we manifest will often call forth the enmity
of others, and cause them to act an injurious part towards us.
But, if this should be the case, we must be long-suffering
towards them, not retaliating the injury, nor harbouring re
sentment in our hearts, but patiently submitting to it, as to a
dispensation ordered by Infinite Wisdom for our good. But,
where this is not the case, there will still be occasions of
vexation, arising from the conduct of those around us : the
ignorance of some, the misapprehensions and mistakes of
others, the perverseness of others, the want of judgment in
others, sometimes also pure accident, will place us in circum
stances of difficulty and embarrassment. But from whatever
m 1 Pet. iii. 4. n 2 Cor. x. 1. ° Matt xi. 29.
P Phil. ii. 5. q Jam. iii. 13.
336 EPHESIANS, IV. 1—3. [2106.
cause these trials arise, we should shew forbearance towards
the offender, from a principle of love ; not being offended with
him, not imputing evil intention to him, not suffering our
regards towards him to be diminished ; but bearing with his
infirmities, as we desire that God should bear with ours.
Now it is in preserving such a state of mind in ourselves,
and manifesting it towards others, that we shall particularly
adorn the Gospel of Christ : and therefore, in our endeavours
to walk worthy of our high calling, we must particularly be on
our guard, that no temper contrary to these break forth into
act, or be harboured in the mind.]
2. The promotion of peace and unity in all around
us —
[As belonging to the Church of Christ, we have duties
towards all the members of his mystical body. There ought to
be perfect union amongst them all : they should, if possible,
be " all joined together in the same mind and in the same
judgment1." But, constituted as men are, it is scarcely to be
expected that all who believe in Christ should have precisely
the same views of every doctrine, or even of every duty.
But whatever points of difference there may be between them,
there should be a perfect unity of spirit : and to preserve this
should be the constant endeavour of them all. All should
consider themselves as members of one family, living under
the same roof: if the house be on fire, they all exert them
selves in concert with each other, to extinguish the flames :
they feel one common interest in the welfare of the whole,
and gladly unite for the promotion of it. Thus it should be
in the Church of Christ. Every thing tending to disunion
should be avoided by all ; or if the bonds of peace be in any
degree loosened, every possible effort should be made to
counteract the evil, and re-establish the harmony that has
been interrupted. A constant readiness to this good office is
no low attainment ; and, when joined with the graces before
spoken of, it constitutes a most useful and ornamental part of
the Christian character. Attend then to this with great care.
Shew that you " do not mind your own things only, but also,
if not chiefly, the things of others." Shew, that the welfare
of the Church, and the honour of your Lord, lie near your
heart : and let no effort be wanting on your part to promote
so glorious an object. Be willing to sacrifice any interest or
wish of your own for the attainment of it; even as Paul " be
came all things to all men," and " sought not his own profit,
but the profit of many, that they might be saved."]
r 1 Cor. i. 10.
2106.] A CONSISTENT WALK ENJOINED. OoT
And now, let me, like the Apostle, make this the
subject of my most earnest and affectionate
ENTREATY, Consider, " I beseech you,"
1. Its aspect on your own happiness-
fit is the consistent Christian only that can be happy. If
there be pride, anger, or any hateful passion indulged, "it will
eat as doth a canker," and destroy ail the comfort of the soul ;
it will cause God to hide his face from us, and weaken the
evidences of our acceptance with him. If then you consult
nothing but your own happiness, I would say to you, " Walk
worthy the vocation wherewith ye are called ; and especially in
the constant exercise of humility and love."]
2. Its aspect on the Church of which you are
members-
fit is impossible to benefit the Church, if these graces be
not cultivated with the greatest care. In every Church there
will be some, who, by unsubdued tempers, or erroneous notions,
or a party-spirit, will be introducing divisions, and disturbing
the harmony which ought to prevail. Against all such persons
the humble Christian should be on his guard, and oppose a
barrier. And it is scarcely to be conceived how much good
one person of a humble and loving spirit may do. If " one
sinner destroyeth much good," so verily one active and pious
Christian effects much. Let each of you then consider the
good of the whole : consider yourselves as soldiers fighting
under one Head. Your regimental dress may differ from that
of others ; but the end, and aim, and labour of all, must be the
same ; and all must have but one object, the glory of their
common Lord.]
3. Its aspect on the world around you—
[What will the world say, if they see Christians disho
nouring their profession by unholy tempers and mutual ani
mosities? What opinion will they have of principles which
produce in their votaries no better effects ? Will they not
harden themselves and one another in their sins, and justify
themselves in their rejection of the Gospel, which your incon
sistencies have taught them to blaspheme ? But if your
deportment be such that they can find no evil thing to say of
you, they will be constrained to acknowledge that God is with
you of a truth, and to glorify him in your behalf. Especially,
if they see you to be one with each other, as God and Christ
are one, they will know that your principles are just, and will
wish to have their portion with you in a better world8.]
s John xvii. 21 — 2;>.
VOL. XVII. /
338 EPHESIANS, IV. 4—6. [2107.
4. Its aspect on your eternal welfare —
[In all the most essential things, all the members of
Christ's mystical body are of necessity united : there is " one
body," of which you are members : " one Spirit," by which you
are animated ; one inheritance, which is the " one hope of your
calling;" "one Lord," Jesus Christ, who died for you ; " one
faith," which you have all received ; " one baptism," in the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost,
of which you have all partaken ; one God and Father of all,
who " is above all," by his essential majesty, and " through
all," by his universal providence, " and in you all" by his in
dwelling Spirit* : and shall you, who are one in so many things,
be separated from each other so as not to be one in Christian
love ? It cannot be : your love to each other is the most
indispensable evidence of your union with him : and, if you are
not united together in the bonds of love in the Church below,
you never can be united in glory in the Church above. If ever
then you would join with that choir of saints and angels which
are around the throne of God, be consistent, be uniform, be
humble ; and let love have a complete and undisputed sway
over your hearts and lives.]
t ver. 4—6.
MMCVII.
CHRISTIAN UNITY.
Eph. iv. 4 — 6. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye
are called in one hope of your calling ; one Lord, one faith,
one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and
through all, and in you all.
IT is often urged, as an objection against Chris
tianity, that those who profess it are not agreed re
specting the doctrines which it inculcates : and we
are triumphantly urged to come to an agreement
amongst ourselves, before we attempt to proselyte
others to our religion. That persons calling them
selves Christians differ widely from each other, is
readily acknowledged. But it must be remembered,
that Christianity is not a mere theory, which leaves
men at liberty in relation to their practice : it is a
religion which requires its votaries to have their whole
souls brought into subjection to it, and cast, as it
2107.] CHRISTIAN UNITY. 339
were, into its very mould : and those who affect not
a conformity to its doctrines, will deny the doctrines
themselves ; having no alternative, but to set aside
the requirements, or to condemn themselves for their
disobedience to them. But between real Christians
there is, on all the fundamental points of religion, a
surprising agreement, even such an unity as does not
exist on any other subject under heaven. Every true
believer, whether learned or unlearned, feels himself
to be a sinner before God ; dependent altogether on
the blood of Christ to purge him from his guilt, and
on the Spirit of Christ to renew and sanctify his soul.
The necessity of universal holiness, too, is equally
acknowledged by all ; so that, whatever difference
there may appear to be between the different mem
bers of Christ's mystical body, it is only such as
exists in the countenances of different men ; the main
features being the same in all ; and the diversity being
discoverable only on a closer inspection.
That this truth may the more fully appear, I will
take occasion, from the words before us, to shew,
I. The foundation which the Gospel lays for unity —
The unity of the Gospel is carried to a great ex
tent—
[The whole Christian Church is brought by the Gospel
into " one body," of which Christ is the head, and all true
believers are the members a. This body is inhabited by " one
Spirit," even the Holy Ghost, who pervades the whole, and
animates it in every part. It is his presence only that gives
life ; and were he withdrawn for a moment, the soul would be
as incapable of all spiritual motion, as a dead corpse is of all
the functions of the animal life. To " one hope are we all
called, even to an inheritance which is incorruptible and
undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for
us." The " one Lord " of all is the Lord Jesus Christ, who
" purchased the Church with his own blood," and presides
over it as " Lord of all," and will judge every member of it
in the last day. To all of them there is but " one faith ;" to
which all, without exception, must adhere, and by which
alone they can be saved. Into this new-covenant state they are
all admitted by " one baptism," " in the name of the Father,
a 1 Cor. \ii. 12.
Z !>
340 EPHESIANS, IV. 4—6. [2107.
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." And of all there is
one God and Father, " who is above all," by his almighty
power ; " and through all," by his superintending provi
dence ; " and in all," by the constant operation of his Spirit
and grace.]
All this may well serve as a foundation for unity,
amongst those who profess the Gospel—
[The force of this observation is universally acknow
ledged, in reference to the corporeal frame. The whole hu
man frame proceeds from one source, is subject to the same
wants, nourished by the same supplies, and affected with the
same lot. In reference to that, it is judged reasonable that
every part should have the same care one for the other ; and
that every member should sympathize with the rest, whether
in a way of joy or sorrow, according as circumstances may
requireb. All idea of a separate interest is quite excluded;
and the happiness of every individual part is bound up in the
welfare of the whole. Much more, therefore, may all disunion
be proscribed in so sacred a body as the Church, where not
merely the prosperity of the different members is at stake,
but the honour of Almighty God also, and the interests of the
whole world.]
Accordingly, we find universal harmony provided
for, in,
II. The unity it enjoins —
It requires an unity,
1. Of sentiment—
[This is not to be expected in every thing : for, where the
mind is so constituted as ours is, and possesses such different
measures of information, and beholds subjects from such
different points of view, it is not possible that there should be
a perfect agreement of sentiment upon every thing. But it
may well be expected to prevail, so far at least as to prevent
dissension and division in the Church of God. This the
Apostle inculcated with all possible earnestness : " I beseech
you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye
all speak the same thing, and that there be no division among
you ; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same
mind, and in the same judgment0." A departure from this
rule is declared to be a proof of grievous carnality d : and, if
fostered in the soul, and promoted in the Church, it is judged
a sufficient ground for the most marked disapprobation from
b 1 Cor. xii. 25, 26. t: 1 Cor. i. 10. d I Cor. iii. 3.
2107.] CHRISTIAN UNITY. 341
every child of God : " Mark them who cause divisions and
offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned, and
avoid them : for they that are such serve not the Lord Jesus
Christ, but their own belly" and corrupt appetites6.]
2. Ofaffection-
[Love is the grace which most adorns the true Christian :
it is properly his distinctive markf. It is not to be interrupted
by party distinctions; which, instead of justifying an alienation
from each other, should themselves, as far as possible, be
buried in oblivion. In the body, no one member can say to
another, " I have no need of you :" the least and lowest has
its appropriate office, as well as those whose powers are of a
superior order : nor does its difference of form or office cause
it to be overlooked, or its welfare to be despised. But herein
the Christian world is doubtless very defective. Minor differ
ences and distinctions are magnified among them into occasions
of mutual aversion; insomuch, that a circumstantial difference,
in relation to the mere externals of religion, often sets persons
as far asunder as they are even from professed heathens. But
let not Christianity be blamed for this. The evil arises solely
from that corruption of the human heart which Christianity
is intended to subdue and mortify. And I cannot but regard
the change which has taken place in this respect, through the
influence of the Bible Society, as a blessing of peculiar mag
nitude to the whole Church of God. The duty of all, to
whatever denomination of Christians they may happen to
belong, is, to " love as brethren ;" yea, to " be kindly affec-
tioned one to another with brotherly love, in honour pre
ferring one to another." The true pattern is that which was
set us on the day of Pentecost^ - - To all, therefore, I
would say, with the Apostle, " If there be any consolation in
Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit,
if any bowels and mercies, fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like-
minded; having the same love, being of one accord, of one
mindV]
3. Of conduct —
[As immortal beings, we all have one great pursuit,
which we ought to follow with our whole hearts, and in com
parison of which all other things should be as dung and dross.
We should all resemble the twelve tribes of Israel, in their
journey through the wilderness. All kept their appointed
places; those who led, not despising those who followed; nor
those who moved in the rear envying those who led Uie van.
e Rom. xvi. 17, 18. f Rom. xii. 10.
s Actsiv. 32. >> Phil. ii. 1, 2.
342 EPHESIANS, IV. 7, 8. [2108.
All surrounded the tabernacle, as the first object of their
unvaried solicitude ; and all looked forward to Canaan, as the
crown and recompence of all their labours. So should it be
with us. To advance the cause of God in this world, and to
reach the promised land, should be the objects nearest to all
our hearts. In this, then, let us all unite : " forgetting the
things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things
which are before, let us press forward for the prize of the
high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Let us, I say, as many
as be perfect, " be thus minded1,"]
' Phil. iii. 14, 15.
MMCVIII.
THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST.
Eph. iv. 7, 8. Unto every one of us is given grace according to
the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When
he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave
gifts unto men.
FROM the divisions which exist in the Christian
Church, it has been said, by the enemies of Chris
tianity, " First agree amongst yourselves, before you
attempt to proselyte others to your religion." That
divisions do exist, is undeniable : and that they are
a disgrace to our holy religion,, must be confessed.
But still, whilst we mourn over these differences, we
believe that there is no society under heaven that is
more agreed in all essential points than the Church
of Christ. In the great essential points of repentance
towards God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and
the necessity of obedience to all the commands of God,
there is no difference amongst any true Christians,
whether they be found amongst the most enlightened
philosophers or the most uncivilized barbarians. In
our bodily frame there are many members, which,
though widely different from each other in their use
and structure, are in perfect harmony with each
other, as being all actuated by the same spirit, har
moniously employed for the good of the whole. And
this is precisely what exists in the Church of Christ :
if There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit :
2108.] THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST. 343
and there are diversities of administrations, but the
same Lord: and there are diversities of operations ;
but it is the same God who worketh all in all. But
the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man
to profit withal : for to one is given, by the Spirit, the
word of wisdom; to another, the word of knowledge, by
the same Spirit ; to another, faith, by the same Spirit;
to another, the gifts of healing, by the same Spirit ;
to another, the working of miracles ; to another, pro
phecy ; to another, discerning of spirits ; to another,
divers kinds of tongues ; to another, the interpretation
of tongues : but all these worketh that one and the
self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as
he willa." This is exactly what the Apostle affirms
in the passage before us : whatever differences there
be amongst us, we should " forbear one another in
love, endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in
the bond of peace :" for, amidst all those differences,
" there is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are
called in one hope of your calling ; one Lord, one
faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is
above all, and through all, and in allb." Whatever
differences are made, either in respect of gifts or
graces, they are all made by the Lord Jesus Christ
himself, agreeably to what had been foretold con
cerning him ; as the Apostle says in our text : " Unto
every one of us is given grace according to the mea
sure of the gift of Christ : wherefore he saith, When
he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and
gave gifts unto men."
In discoursing on these words, we shall be led to
consider,
I. The obligations we owe to Christ —
On the primitive Church there were many special
and miraculous gifts bestowed : in reference to which,
the Apostle says of Christ, " He gave some, Apostles ;
and some, prophets ; and some, evangelists ; and
some, pastors and teachers0." But, whilst a distinc
tion was made amongst the members of the Church
* 1 Cor. xii. 4 — 11. b ver. 2 — 6. c ver. 11.
314 EPHESIANS, IV. 7,8. [2108.
in reference to gifts, there were graces bestowed
indiscriminately on all, though in different degrees,
according to the will and pleasure of the Giver of
them all, the Lord Jesus Christ. And thus it is at
this time :
There is amongst men a great diversity both of
gifts and graces—
[Some are endowed with richer talents than others origi
nally, at their first coining into the world. In early infancy,
a distinction is visible, both in respect to corporeal and mental
endowments ; weakness and imbecility being the lot of some,
whilst strength and energy are the happy portion of others.
Wealth and poverty also place men far asunder, in reference
to their station in society ; insomuch that, to one who considers
only the outward appearance, the most elevated and the most
depressed of men seem almost to belong to different orders of
creation, rather than to different ranks of the same order.
Something of the same may be noticed in reference to the
graces of men. I say, something of the same : for, where any
portion of real grace is, there is such an elevation of character,
that there is a far less distance between the extremes of those
who are born of God, than there is of those who are yet in
their natural and unregenerate state. But St. John speaks
of " little children, young men, and fathers," in the Church ;
and consequently there must of necessity be so much of dis
parity in real saints as will justify the use of these appropriate
and characteristic terms.]
But, whatever be the measure of any man's gifts,
he is altogether indebted to the Lord Jesus Christ, as
the true source and giver of them—
[We see the truth of this observation in reference to
intellectual powers ; which, even before any means have been
used for the improvement of them, are found much stronger
in some than in others. And, though I readily acknowledge
that talent depends, in some measure, on the cultivation of
the human mind, yet I must say, it is God alone who inclines
or enables us to cultivate it with effect. In like manner it must
be confessed, that much also may depend on our use of the
means of grace ; but still I must say, that it is " God alone
who gives us either to will or to do;" and, consequently,
whatever flows from our willing and doing must be his gift
also. Remember then, I pray yon, to whom you are in
debted for every grace you possess. Have you any measure of
repentance ? it is conferred on you by the Lord Jesus Christ.
Have you any measure of faith ? " it has been given you by
2108.] THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST. 345
him to believe." Have you any measure of holiness ? this
also has come from Him, " who is wonderful in counsel, and
excellent in working." Yet we must not suppose that no
guilt attaches to us for the want of these graces : we are
bound to repent, and believe the Gospel, and to obey the
commands of God ; and shall be justly doomed to punishment,
if we abide in impenitence or unbelief. Yet, for all these
graces, so far as we possess them, we must confess our obliga
tion to the Lord Jesus Christ, who, in the distribution of them,
acts according to his own sovereign will : so that we have no
ground for glorying, if we possess a larger measure ; nor for
repining, if we possess a less. We may " covet earnestly,
indeed, the best gifts ;" but, whatever be the measure of them
which has been conferred upon us, we must be thankful for
them, and improve them diligently, for the benefit of man, and
the honour of our God.]
Whilst we acknowledge our obligations to Christ,
it will be proper to inquire,
II. Whence it is that he is empowered to confer
them—
Respecting this we are informed by David, who
prophesied concerning our blessed Lord, and foretold
that he should be invested with the power which is
here ascribed to him.
Let us first understand the prophecy itself—
[The psalm, from whence it is taken, was written by
David, on occasion of his carrying up the ark to Mount Zion.
David, having subdued all his enemies, desired to honour God
by bringing up the ark from Kirjath-jearim to Mount Zion,
and placing it in the tabernacle there, as its permanent abode.
In celebrating this event, he goes back to the days of Moses,
when all the hosts of Egypt were destroyed in the Red Sea ;
and the Hebrews, enriched with the spoils of Egypt, formed
with them a tabernacle for the service of their God. In both
events, the triumphs of Israel's God were seen, and the work
of their Messiah was prefigured : " Thou hast ascended on
high, thou hast led captivity captive : thou hast received gifts
for men ; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might
dwell among themd."]
Now let us see the application of it to the Lord
Jesus—
d Ps. Ixviii. 18.
346 EPHESIANS, IV. 7, 8. [2108.
[Our blessed Saviour had now vanquished all his ene
mies upon the cross : " by death he had overcome death, and
him that had the power of it, that is, the devil ;" and "having
spoiled principalities and powers, he triumphed over them
openly upon the cross6." In his ascension, like a mighty con
queror, he " led them captive," as it were, at his chariot-
wheels : and as conquerors, in their triumphs, were wont to
scatter gifts and largesses among the people, so he received
from his heavenly Father the Holy Spirit, and poured him
forth upon the Church, in all his gifts and graces, in order
that " the most rebellious" of men might be converted to the
Lord, and " the Lord God might dwell among them." The
right to confer these gifts was founded on his previous con
flicts and victories : and, when they were completed, the right
was exercised, to the unspeakable benefit of the Church at that
day; and not at that day only, but in all subsequent ages,
even to the present hour.]
Now, then, SEE,
1 . What reason we have to bless God for the events
which are this dayf commemorated amongst us—
[The Apostle tells us, in the words following my text,
that " Jesus ascended up far above all heavens, that he might
Jill all things.'" This was the very end of his ascension. He
had come down from heaven, that he might procure for us
these blessings : and now he ascended up to heaven, that he
might confer on us the fruits of his victories. The sun arises
on the earth, that he may diffuse his benefits through the
whole material creation : and in like manner the Sun of
Righteousness is risen, to scatter forth his blessings upon fallen
man. Does any one feel his need of grace, or mercy, or
peace ? let him remember, that the Lord Jesus Christ is
ascended to heaven on purpose to bestow them. Had he not
ascended, the Holy Ghost would never have been sent down
to us : but now that Jesus " has received from the Father the
promise of the Holy Ghost," no one needs to remain destitute
of any spiritual blessing whatever. If it be said, we have
been rebellious ; I answer, our past rebellions will be no bar
to the communication of his blessings to us, if only we be
willing to lay down the weapons of our warfare, and to im
plore mercy at his hands. It is " for the rebellious" that he
himself has received the gift; and on the rebellious he is
willing to confer it. Let all then, without exception, rejoice in
the evidence they have, that Christ has vanquished all their
enemies ; and in the certainty, that all who look to him shall
e Col, ii. 15. f Ascension Day.
2109.] THE USE OF A STATED MINISTRY. 347
be enriched " out of his fulness, receiving grace" upon grace,
and grace corresponding with the grace which there was in
him.]
2. What rich measures of grace we are authorized
to aspire after—
[Though we all ought to be thankful for the smallest
measure of grace, we should never be satisfied till we have
attained the largest. We are told by the Apostle, that we
should " grow up into Christ as our living Head," even " unto
a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness
of Christ himself g." What a glorious object for our ambition
is here ! O brethren, be not straitened in your own bowels ;
for ye are not straitened in your God ! The Lord Jesus, who
first descended from heaven, and became incarnate for you, is
now ascended to heaven in the very nature that he assumed
for you : and well does he know all your wants and necessi
ties, which he is as ready, as he is able, to supply. Open wide,
therefore, your mouth, in supplication to him ; and be assured,
that he will give you a more abundant supply of his Spirit ;
nor will ever withhold his hand, till you are filled with all the
fulness of God.]
% ver. 13, 15.
MMCIX.
THE USE OF A STATED MINISTRY.
Eph. iv. 11 — 16. And he gave some, apostles,' and some, pro
phets; and some, evangelists ; and some, pastors and teachers ;
for the perfecting of the saints, for the ivork of the ministry,
for the edifying of the body of Christ : till we all come in the
unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto
a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness
of Christ : that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to
and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by
the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie
in wait to deceive ; but speaking the truth in love, may grow
up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ :
from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted
by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual
working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the
body unto the edifying of itself in love.
IT is a truth never to be forgotten, that the Lord
Jesus Christ is the fountain of life, and that " all our
fresh springs are in him." Unless this be borne in
EPHESIANS, IV. 11—16. [2109.
mind, we shall never be able to do the will of God
aright ; nor will Christ ever be glorified by us as he
ought to be. Hence the Apostle, after exhorting
the Ephesian converts to walk worthy the vocation
wherewith they had been called, reminds them, that,
so far as they had been enabled to do this, they had
done it through grace received from the Lord Jesus
Christ, who, according to the predictions concerning
him, had ascended up to heaven, and bestowed it
upon them. One particular prediction to this effect
he specifies ; and then, commenting upon it, declares,
that Jesus, having triumphed over all his enemies,
had, after the manner of conquerors, who scattered
gifts and largesses amongst their followers, conferred
these and other blessings upon them. Of the other
blessings he had bestowed upon his Church, the
Apostle mentions some which were extraordinary
and temporary, as apostles, prophets, and evangelists;
and some which were ordinary and permanent, as
pastors and teachers, whose office was to be con
tinued for the benefit of the Church in all succeeding
generations.
What the particular benefits were which the Church
was to derive from these pastors and teachers, he
then proceeds to notice, and sets them forth under a
variety of most beautiful and instructive images.
That we may enter more fully into the subject, we
shall endeavour to shew,
I. The ends for which a stated ministry was ordained —
These were,
1. The perpetuating of a succession of duly qualified
instructors in the Church—
[This seems to be the import of those words which first
occur in our text, and which might perhaps have been more
properly translated, " For the fitting of holy men for the
work of the ministry for the edification of the body of Christ."
Amongst the Jews, especial care was taken that the know
ledge of the true God should be transmitted to the latest
generations : as David says ; " God established a testimony in
Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded
our fathers that they should make them known to their
2109. J THE USE OF A STATED MINISTRY. 319
children ; that the generation to come might know them,
even the children which should be born ; who should arise
and declare them to their children a." So under the Christian
dispensation, care is taken, that there never shall be wanting
a succession of persons duly qualified and authorized to
transmit to every succeeding generation the knowledge of
Christ, and of his Gospel. St. Paul says to Timothy, " The
things which thou hast heard of me among many witnesses,
the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to
teach others alsoV Were the ministerial office to cease, the
Church itself would soon fall into decay : for though it is
certain that the Scriptures are of themselves, when applied
by the Holy Spirit to the soul, able to make men wise unto
salvation, it is also certain, that the ministry of the word is,
and ever has been, the chief instrument which God makes use
of for the conversion of the world. A vision was given to
Cornelius, and an angel sent to inform him where he might
find an authorized instructor ; and repeated visions were given
to Peter, and not only given, but explained to him by the
Holy Ghost, in order to remove his scruples, and prevail upon
him to go to Cornelius, for the express purpose of honouring
God's instituted means of communicating the knowledge of
his Gospel. For the very same end was Philip directed, by
the Holy Ghost, to go to the Ethiopian eunuch, and to open
to him the portion of Scripture which he was reading. The
Spirit might as easily have opened the eyes of the eunuch,
without the intervention of Philip : but he chose to put the
honour on the means which he had instituted ; and to effect
that by his minister, which he would not effect by the word
alone.
In all ages shall such ministers be raised up, through the
operation of the preached word ; nor shall the Church cease
to be supplied with them, till there shall remain no more
members to be added to her, nor any further work to be
wrought in those of which she is composed.]
2. The edification of the Church itself —
[The Church of Christ is his body : those who believe in
him are his members : and every member has a measure of
growth which it is destined to attain : and it is the com
pleteness of the members in number and proficiency, that
constitutes the perfection of the whole body. Towards this per
fection the Church is gradually advancing. To help forward this
good work is the office of God's servants, who are continually
labouring for the good of the Church, and striving to edify
her in faith and love. The ignorant they are to instruct ; the
a Ps. Ixxviii. 5, 6. b 2 Tim. ii. 2.
350 EPHESIANS, IV. 11—16. [2109.
weak they are to strengthen and establish ; the wandering
they are to bring back ; and over every member are they so
to watch, that all may be progressively fitted for the discharge
of their respective offices, and that God may be glorified in all.]
But as the ministry can be effectual only through
the medium of our own exertions, it will be proper to
shew,
II. The use we should make of it-
It finds us sinners : it brings us to the state of
saints : and when formed by it into one great com
munity, it leads us to a performance of the duties we
owe to all the members of that body. In each of
these states we have duties to perform—
1. As sinners, we should seek that faith which alone
will save us—
[There is but " one faith ;" and one " knowledge of the
Son of God," in which we must be all agreed. In matters of
minor importance we may differ from each other : but " the
Head we must all hold :" we must simply look to the Lord
Jesus Christ, as dying for us, and as making reconciliation for
us by the blood of his cross ; our hope must be in him, and in
him alone : and, if we place the smallest dependence on any
thing of our own, we can have no part in his salvation. In
relation to this matter, there must be no diversity : perfect
''unity" is required: and to bring you to this unity, is the
great scope of our labours. Brethren, consider this; and inquire
whether our ministry has had a proper influence upon you in
this respect ? Have you been made to feel yourselves guilty and
undone ; and have you fled to Christ for refuge, as to the one
hope that is set before you? —Have you renounced all
dependence whatever on yourselves ; and are you daily looking
to him as "made of God unto you wisdom, and righteousness,
and sanctification, and redemption?"- -We say again,
that if our ministry be not effectual to bring you to this, it is
not a savour of life unto you, but a savour of death to your
more aggravated condemnation.]
2. As believers, we should seek to " grow up into
Christ in all things "-
[Whilst we are yet weak in the faith, we are in constant
danger of being turned aside from the truth of God. Both
men and devils will labour incessantly to draw us from the one
foundation of a sinner's hope. But we are to be " growing in
grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
2109.] THE USE OF A STATED MINISTRY. 351
Christ." We are not to continue " as children, tossed to and
fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine :" we are to
be aware of the devices of our enemies : we are to get a deeper
insight into the great mystery of godliness : we are to become
daily more and more established in the truth as it is in Jesus,
so as to be proof against all " the sleight of men, and the
cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive." On
whatever side we are assaulted, our enemies should find us
armed. Are we attacked by the specious reasonings of false
philosophy, or the proud conceits of self-righteous moralists, we
should reject the dogmas both of the one and the other, and
" determine to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him cruci
fied." " To him we should cleave with full purpose of heart,"
making daily more and more use of him in all his offices. As
our Priest, we should confide more simply in the atonement he
has offered for us, and in his continual intercession for us at
the right hand of God. As our Prophet, we should rely on
him more entirely to instruct us in the knowledge of God's
will, and to guide us into all truth. As our King, we should
look to him to put down all our enemies, and to bring every
thought of our hearts into captivity to his holy will. In
a word, we should live more simply and entirely by faith in
him, receiving daily out of his fulness all that we stand in need
of, and improving it all for the glory of his name.
Thus to establish you in Christ, is a further intent of our
ministry ; even to bring you to live in the same communion
with him, as the members have with the head. You must
feel that you have nothing in yourselves, but all in him : and
whatsoever communications you receive from him, must be
employed in executing his will, and in promoting his glory.]
3. As members of Christ's mystical body, we should
seek to promote the welfare of the whole-
fin the natural body, all the members consult and act for
the good of the whole : no one possesses any thing for itself
only ; but all being compacted together by joints and liga
ments, and every joint, from the largest to the smallest, sup
plying a measure of unctuous and nutritious matter, each
according to its ability, for the benefit of the member that is in
contact with it, and for the good of the whole body, all grow
together ; and that from infancy to youth, from youth to man
hood, till the whole has attained that measure of perfection
which God has designed for it. Thus it must be in the
mystical body of Christ's Church. Believers are no more in
dependent of each other, than they are of Christ : as they are
united unto him by faith, so are they to be united to each
other by love. None are to consider any thing which they
possess as private property, but as a trust to be improved for
352 EPHESIANS, IV. 20,21. [2110.
the good of the whole. Nor are they to consider only that
part of the body with which they are in more immediate con
tact, but the whole without exception; assured, that the hap
piness of the whole is bound up in the welfare of every part ;
and that all being connected by one common interest, all must
labour together for one common end.
When this is attained, the intent of our ministry is fully
answered. A life of faith, and a life of love, is that for which
God has begotten us by his Gospel— - But let me ask, Is
this end answered upon us ? Do we regard the whole Church
of God, as well that part which is more remote, as that which
is nearer to us, as members of our own body, entitled to all
possible care and love ? O that it were thus in every place
under heaven ! O that there were no schisms in this sacred
body! But let there be no want of effort, on our part, to ad
vance the temporal and spiritual welfare of all around us : let
there be " an effectual working in the measure of every part,
that so the body may be increased, and the whole be edified in
loveV]
c This may be easily improved for any subject connected with the
ministry.
MMCX.
EDUCATION AND WALK OF CHRISTIANS.
Eph. iv. 20, 21. But ye have not so learned Christ ; if so be
that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the
truth is in Jesus.
WE shall do well ever to remember, that Christi
anity is not a mere speculative theory, that is to inform
the mind ; but a great practical lesson, to renew the
heart, and to bring us back to the state from whence
we are fallen. The means which it prescribes for
the attainment of its end, are doubtless most myste
rious : but still the end is that for which the means
are ordained ; and the restoration of our souls to the
Divine image must be our one constant and uniform
pursuit. St. Paul ever bears this in mind. He sets
forth, in the clearest view, and the most glowing co
lours, the wonders of redeeming love : but he ever
comes to this at last, that we are to " be sanctified by
the truth," and that " the truth must set us free"
2110.] EDUCATION AND WALK OF CHRISTIANS. 353
from all our spiritual enemies. He was, at the time
he wrote this epistle, imprisoned at Rome : yet what
did he desire of the Ephesian Church ? Did he re
quest them to interest themselves in his behalf, that
he might be restored to liberty ? No ; the thought
did not so much as enter into his mind : the welfare
of their souls was all his concern : " I, therefore,"
says he, " the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you,
that ye walk worthy the vocation wherewith ye are
called a:" and again, " This I say and testify in the
Lord, that ye walk not as other Gentiles walkb :" ye
are instructed better : ye can never conform to their
practices : no ; " ye have not so learned Christ, if so
be ye have heard him, and been taught by him, as
the truth is in Jesus."
In these remarkable words, we see,
I. The Christian's education—
" He has been instructed by our Lord Jesus Christ
himself."
There is a teaching which proceeds from Christ
himself—
[I readily grant, that, in learning from the inspired
writings, we may properly be said to learn of Christ : for he
himself said to his Apostles, " He that heareth you, heareth
me ; and he that despiseth you, despiseth me ; and he that
despiseth me, despiseth him that sent mec." But it is evident
that much more than this is contained in the words before us :
in fact, here is a contrast drawn between those who learn by
the word, or human teaching only, and those who learn of the
Lord Jesus Christ himself: the former may find their instruc
tion insufficient to regulate their life : the latter never can ;
because Christ instructs the heart, to which nothing but
Omnipotence can gain access. This teaching is sometimes
ascribed, in Scripture, to the Father: " Every man that hath
heard and learned of the father, cometh unto med." Some
times it is ascribed to the Son: " No man knoweth the Father,
but the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him e."
Sometimes it is ascribed to the Holy Ghost: " The Comforter,
which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my
name, he shall teach you all things f." But the truth is the
a ver. 1. b ver. 17. c Luke x. 16.
(1 John vi 45. e Matt. xi. 27. f John xiv. 26.
VOL. XVTI. A A
351 EPHESIANS, IV. 20, 21. [2110.
same ; since, whether it be the Father or the Son who instructs
us, it is always by the agency of the Holy Spirit. To say
exactly how Christ instructs us, is beyond our power: it is
not by visions, or by voices, or by dreams, as in the days of
old ; but by opening to us the Scriptures, and giving us a
spiritual perception of the truths contained in them. We
know not how our own spirit operates on our body : yet we
have no doubt but that it does ; because the body obeys in all
things the motions of the mind : so, though we cannot define
the precise mode in which the Spirit of God operates on our
spirit, we know, by the effects, that an influence is exerted by
Him upon our minds, and that by that influence we are
enabled to see and comprehend many things which to the
natural man are utter foolishness g.]
This teaching every true Christian receives —
[In matters of science, the Christian has no advantage
above others : his progress will be regulated by laws that are
common to every student. But in the concerns of the soul
he has a decided superiority, above all his equals in age and
learning. He has the Lord Jesus Christ for his instructor:
his " heart has been opened by the Lord, as Lydia's was, to
attend to the things of Godh;" and his understanding has
been opened to understand them1." It was by this teaching
that Peter, a poor fisherman, was enabled to declare the true
character of Christ, which the Scribes and Pharisees, with all
their advantages, were not able to discern: " Blessed art
thou, Simon Bar-jona ; for flesh and blood hath not revealed
it unto thee, but my Father which is in heavenV If it be
thought that this privilege was confined to the Apostles, or to
the apostolic age, I answer, that it is the portion of all God's
people to the end of time ; according as it is written, " All
thy children shall be taught of God, and great shall the
peace be of thy children."]
Suited to this education is,
II. The Christian's walk —
The Apostle tells us what this is : he tells us,
1 . Negatively, what it is not—
[The state of the Gentile world is awful in the extreme.
Whatever may be the conduct of a few amongst them, the
great mass are alienated from all good, and addicted to all evil.
As for God, they know him not, nor have any desire to know
him. Their minds are altogether alienated from every thing
g 1 Cor. ii. 9 — 12, 14. h Acts xvi. 14.
1 Luke xxiv. 45. k Matt. xvi. 17.
2110.1 EDUCATION AND WALK OF CHRISTIANS. 355
which God would approve : they have no disposition but
towards the vanities of this polluted world ; nor, when they
transgress what even their own consciences would dictate, do
they feel that compunction of heart that would become them.
The unenlightened amongst ourselves do not indeed resemble
the Gentiles in some respects : they are free from open
idolatry, and more limited perhaps in their sensual indul
gences: but in an alienation from the life of God, and an
addictedness to earthly vanities, they differ very little from the
heathen world. But true Christians are of a very different
mind : as the Apostle says, " Ye have not so learned Christ."
No, indeed : the true Christian has not so learned Christ : he
cannot " run to the same excess of riot" that ungodly men
do ; nor will he be conformed, in any of these vanities, to the
world around him. He " comes out from the world, and is
separate ; and would not willingly touch the unclean thing ;"
much less revel in all manner of uncleanness : and this very
separation from the world is that which chiefly incenses the
world against him. He comes out from " the broad road
which leadeth to destruction, and walks rather in that narrow
path which leadeth unto life."]
2. Positively, what it is—
[The Christian, who has really heard Christ, and been
taught by him as the truth is in Jesus, will adhere to the truth
as it is in Jesus : he will labour that the full end of Jesus's
incarnation and life and death should be realized in him. He
will see how the truth was exemplified in Jesus ; and will
endeavour " so to walk, even as he walked." Not that he will
be satisfied with any change in his outward conduct : he will
seek to become a new creature ; to put off the whole body of
sin, with which he is encompassed ; and to put on the whole
body of righteousness, whereby he may approve himself to
God. The life of God, from which the unenlightened is
alienated, is that which he will cultivate to the utmost of
his power ; and in maintaining it, he will labour with all
earnestness, forgetting what is behind, and reaching forth
unto that which is before, if by any means he may attain so
rich a prize.]
ADDRESS —
1. Those who desire to understand the Gospel —
[Remember what it is you have to learn : the Apostle
calls it " learning CHRIST." This gives us the complete idea
of all that a Christian needs to know. The Gospel is an
exhibition of Jesus Christ : all that he is in himself, and all
that he is to us, is there revealed : all the mysterious purposes
of his grace; all the offices that he sustains in the work of
356 EPHESIANS, IV. 22— 24. [2111.
redemption ; all that he has done and suffered ; all that he is
now doing ; all that he has engaged to do ; all that can be
known of him, is there set forth ; and there may we behold all
the glory of the Godhead shining in his face. This, then, is
what we have to learn : the knowledge of CHRIST is all and in
all. Come, then, and sit at the feet of Jesus : come, and
learn of him with all docility of mind, as little children : en
treat him to take away the veil from your hearts, and to " mani
fest himself unto you as he does not unto the world." Then
shall you " behold his glory, even the glory as of the only-
begotten of the Father ;" and know Him, whom to know is
life eternal. And let no one be discouraged because of his
want of intellectual powers : for " what he has hid from the
wise and prudent, he will reveal to babes and sucklings ;" and
" his strength shall be perfected in their weakness."]
2. Those who desire to adorn the Gospel —
[Take not the world's standard of duty as that which you
should aim at : for I declare and " testify," that that will not
suffice ; nor can you ever please God by such a measure of
sanctification as the best of unenlightened men affect. No ;
" you must not walk as other Gentiles walk ;" nor as the
merely nominal Christian walks. You must soar far above
him : you must see how Christ himself walked, and follow
him in all his ways ; being " pure as he was pure," and " per
fect as he was perfect." And never imagine that you have yet
attained. To your latest hour there will be remnants of " the
old man to be put off," and larger measures of " the new man
to be put on." It is not in your life and conversation merely
that you are to be " renewed," but in the entire " spirit of
your mind :" from being earthly, sensual, devilish, you must
become heavenly, spiritual, divine ; and never cease, till you
have attained to the full measure of the stature of Christ
himself. This is to walk worthy of your vocation ; and in this
shall your " learning of Christ " most surely issue. If you
truly hear him, and are taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus,
you cannot so walk as the world around you walk ; nor can
you but " walk, as Christ himself walked."]
MMCXI.
THE OLD MAN, AND THE NEW.
Eph. iv. 22 — 24. That ye put off concerning the former con
versation, the old man, which is corrupt, according to the
deceitful lusts ; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind ;
and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created
in righteousness and true holiness.
2111.] THE OLD MAN, AND THE NEW. 357
CHRISTIANITY is universally professed amongst
us : but many know little more of it than the name.
They, who are in some measure acquainted with its
principles, have, for the most part, learned it only
from books and human instruction. But there are
some who have learned it, as it were, from Christ
himself. Their understandings have been opened,
and their hearts instructed by his good Spirit. These
are said to " have heard Christ, and to have been
taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus a." These
may be distinguished from the others by the effects
of their knowledge. While the speculative Christian
remains willingly ignorant of true holiness, the truly
enlightened man labours to attain the highest mea
sure of it that he can. This St. Paul represents as
the infallible consequence of divine teaching : and
his declarations respecting it set forth the sum and
substance of a Christian's duty.
I. Put off the old man —
There are many terms peculiar to the Holy Scrip
tures which need to be explained. Those in the
text are of the greatest importance—
" The old man " is that principle of sin which
actuates the unregenerate man —
[It is a natural principle. As a man consists of a soul
with many faculties, and a body with many members, so does
this principle, though but one, consist of many parts : pride,
unbelief, &c. &c. constitute that body of sin, which is here
denominated " the old man ;" and it is called " old," because
it is coeval with our existence, and is derived from our first
parents, after whose fallen image we were made. It is a
corrupt principle. It is expressly called so in my text. All
its inward " lustings" and desires are vitiated, and invariably
discover themselves by the external fruits of a vain " con
versation." It is also a " deceitful" principle, continually
representing good as evil, and evil as good : it constantly dis
appoints our expectations, making that to appear a source
of happiness which never yet terminated in any thing but
misery.]
This it is our duty to be " putting off "-
a ver. 21.
358 EPHESIANS, IV. 22—24. [2111.
[It is indeed no easy matter to effect this work ; yet in
dependence on God's aid we may, and must, accomplish it.
We must suppress its actings. It will break forth, if not
resisted, into all manner of evilb: but we must fight against it,
and " bring it into subjection0." Our eternal life and salva
tion depend on our " mortifying the deeds of the body d." Not
contented with a partial victory, we must check its desires.
A weight that may be easily stopped when beginning to roll,
will prove irresistible when it is running down a steep de
clivity. We must check evil in its first rising, if we would not
be overpowered by it : none can tell how far he shall go when
once he begins to fall. We must therefore " crucify the flesh
with its aifections and lusts6." To do this effectually, we must
guard against its deceits. We should examine our motives
and principles of action. Sin is deceitful ; the heart also is
deceitful; and Satan helps forward our deceptions. That
which is very specious in its outward appearance is often most
odious to the heart-searching God. We must therefore bring
every thing to the touchstone of God's word: we must " prove
all things, and hold fast that which is goodf."]
But we must not be satisfied with resisting sin.
We must,
II. Put on the new man—
"The new man" is that principle which actuates
the godly-
fit consists of many parts, as well as the evil principle.
Humility, faith, love, &c. are among its most characteristic
features. It is divine in its origin. It belongs to no man
naturally ; but is " new." It is the gift of God, the work of
his good Spirit. It is " created" within us, and is as truly the
workmanship of God, as the universe itself is. All who possess
it are said to be " God's 'workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
unto good works g." It is moreover holy in its operations : all
its motions and tendencies are holy. It works to transform us
" after God's image." It leads to an unreserved obedience to
both tables of the law. It directs to " righteousness" towards
man, and " holiness" towards God. Nor will it be satisfied
with any semblance of religion, however specious. It labours
uniformly to bring us to the experience of " true" holiness
both in heart and life.]
This it is our duty to be putting on —
b See the following context. c 1 Cor. ix. 27.
(i Rom. viii. 13. e Gal. v. 24.
1 1 Thcss. v. 21. K Eph. ii. 10.
2111.] THE OLD MAN, AND THE NEW. 359
[As the prodigal was not merely pardoned, but clothed
in robes suitable to his new condition, so are the children of
God to be adorned with virtues suited to the relation which
they bear to their heavenly Father. We must be " renewed,"
not in our outward actions only, but, " in the spirit of our
minds :" the great spring of action within us must be changed,
and " the new man" must reign in us now, as " the old man"
did in our unregenerate state. Do we ask, How7 shall this
great work be effected ? We answer, Encourage its motions,
and exert its powers. The new principle of life in us is as
water, which seeks continually to extinguish the corrupt
principle within us : and if, upon any temptation occurring,
we watched carefully the motions of that principle, we should
frequently, perhaps invariably, find it directing us to what is
right. But it is "a still small voice" that cannot be heard
without much attention, and it may be very soon silenced
by the clamours of passion or interest : it is the voice of God
within us ; and, if duly regarded, would never suffer us to err
in any great degree. It has also powers, which, like the mem
bers of the body, may be strengthened by exertion. Put forth
its powers in the exercise of faith and love, and it will be found
to grow as well as any other habit. Having indeed the tide
of corrupt nature against it, its progress will not be so rapid,
nor will it admit of any intermission of our labours : but the
more we do for God, the more shall we be disposed, and
enabled, to do for him. We must however remember not to
address ourselves to this duty in our own strength : of our
selves we can do nothing; but if we rely on the promised grace
of Christ, we shall be strengthened by his Spirit, and be
" changed into his image from glory to glory."]
We may IMPROVE this subject,
1. For conviction—
[If this progressive change be the necessary evidence of
our being true Christians, alas ! how few true Christians are
there to be found ! Yet nothing less than this will suffice.
If we be really " in Christ, we are new creatures ; old things
are passed away, and, behold, all things are become newh."
It is not an external reformation merely that we must expe
rience, but a new creation. Let all reflect on this. Let all
inquire what evidence they have of such a change having
passed upon their souls. The voice of Christ to all of us is
this; "YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN; except a man be born
again, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven1."]
2. For consolation—
11 "2 Cor. v. 17. * John iii. 3, 7.
360 EPHESIANS, IV. 30. [2112.
[Many are read}7 to despond because of the severe con
flicts which they experience between the spiritual and the
carnal principle in their souls. They say, If I were a child of
God, how could it be thus ? We answer, This is rather an
evidence that such persons are partakers of a divine nature :
if they were not, they would be strangers to these conflicts.
Though they might feel some struggles between corruption and
conscience, yea, and between reason and conscience, the one
attempting to vindicate what the other condemns, they would
know nothing of those deeper conflicts between the flesh and
spirit, especially in reference to the secret exercises of the
soul in its daily converse with God. These evince the exist
ence of a new principle, though they shew that the old man
still lives within themk. Let not any then despond because
they feel the remains of indwelling corruption, but rather be
thankful if they hate it, and if they have grace in some good
measure to subdue it. Let them trust in God to " perfect that
which concerns them ;" and look to him to " fulfil in them all
the good pleasure of his goodness :" then shall they in due
time "put off their filthy garments1" altogether, and "stand
before their God without spot or blemish" to all eternity.]
k Gal. v. 17. l Zech. iii. 4.
MMCXII.
GRIEVING THE SPIRIT.
Eph. iv. 30. Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, 'whereby ye
are sealed unto the day of redemption.
THE Holy Scriptures are not written after the
manner of human systems, but often blend warnings
with promises, and duties with privileges, in a way
that by some would be thought to involve them in
inconsistency. The Apostle, cautioning the Ephe-
sians against various evils which he had observed
amongst them, adds, " Grieve not the Holy Spirit of
God ;" in which expression he seems eventually to
refer to those who had " grieved the Lord in the
wilderness," and had therefore been excluded from
the promised landa, and to those who " by rebelling
against God had provoked his Holy Spirit, so that he
was turned to be their enemy b." Yet at the same
a Heb. iii. 10, 17. b Isai. Ixiii. 10.
2112.] GRIEVING THE SPIRIT. 361
time he informs them, that the Holy Spirit had sealed
them, as the Lord's property, unto the day of re
demption, when he would claim them as his own.
The advocates of human systems love not such appa
rent contrarieties : they would rather say, if they be
sealed unto the day of redemption, how can they be
in any danger of so grieving the Lord, as to be finally
excluded from the heavenly Canaan ? or, if they be
in danger of such a calamity, how can it be that they
should ever have been sealed unto the day of re
demption ? But we may safely leave these matters
to God, who will clear up all such difficulties in the
last day. That we may grieve the Holy Spirit, and
that believers are sealed by him unto the day of
redemption, is equally certain : nor is there any
great difficulty in reconciling the two, to a mind that
is truly humble and contrite ; because the liberty of
man is not at all affected by the decrees of God :
man never loses his proneness to fall, notwithstand
ing God's counsel shall ultimately stand : and there
fore he needs at all times the caution in our text,
whilst the encouragement afforded in it is at all times
proper to animate his exertions.
But, — not to enter into nice disquisitions about
difficulties, which, after all that can be said upon
them, can never be entirely removed, — we shall
proceed, with a view to practical improvement, to
notice,
I. The inestimable benefit conferred upon believers-
Many are the offices which the Holy Spirit exe
cutes in the great work of redemption. He is the
one Agent, by whom redemption is applied in all its
parts. By him is life imparted to those who were
dead in trespasses and sins : " he convinces the world
of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment ;" and
"glorifies Christ" in the sight of all who are so in
structed. But there is one office in particular of
which we are now called to speak, namely, his seal
ing of believers unto the day of redemption. This is
more especially dwelt upon by the Apostle, in the
362 EPHESIANS, IV. 30. [2112.
first chapter of this epistle, where he says that the
Ephesian converts, " after they had believed in Christ,
had been sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, as
the earnest of their inheritance until the redemp
tion of the purchased possession0." This office he
executes upon all true believers ;
1. By an eternal designation of them to God's
service—
[Such a seal most assuredly exists, and was made use of
by Almighty God from all eternity. It was made use of in the
consecration of his only dear Son to his mediatorial office ;
" for him hath God the Father sealed d :" it was made use of
also in the setting apart his chosen people to be his own pecu
liar treasure above all the people upon the face of the earth6 :
" The foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The
Lord knoweth them that are hisf." In the appointment of
Abraham and his posterity to be a holy nation and a peculiar
people, we all see and acknowledge the exercise of sovereign
grace ; though we find it difficult to acquiesce in this idea in
reference to the eternal states of men. But where shall we
draw the line? or how shall we justify the dispensations of
God towards the Jewish people, if we deny his right to exer
cise the same sovereignty towards all the sinners of mankind ?
The truth is, that fallen man has no claim upon his God : in
that respect he is exactly on a footing with the fallen angels :
and, if God be pleased to shew mercy to any, he may do so in
any way, and to any extent that he shall see fit : and if he
select any as objects of his mercy in preference to others, he
does no more injury to the rest, than he would to the great
mass of the fallen angels, if he were at this moment, for the
display of his own glorious perfections, to liberate any number
of them from the chains of darkness in which they are bound.
He " has a right to do what he will with his own : nor ought
our eye to be evil because he is good8." It is certain that the
Lord hath from eternity " set apart him that is godly for
himself h ;" and not because he was godly, or would be so,
but because God of his own sovereign will and pleasure or
dained him unto life : as St. Paul expressly tells us ; ft Whom
God did predestinate, them he also called : and whom he
called, them he also justified ; and whom he justified, them he
also glorified : their call in this world, and their glorification in
the next, originating altogether in the predestination of God
from all eternity1.]
c Eph. i. 1.3, 14. d John vi. 27. e Deut. vii. 6.
f 2 Tim. ii. 19. s Matt. xx. 15. h Ps. iv. o.
i Rom. viii. 21), 30.
2H2.] GRIEVING THE SPIRIT. 363
2. By the sanctification of their hearts and lives—
[This, if I may so speak, is the broad seal of heaven : " By
their fruits ye shall know them:" " He that hath my com
mandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me." By
this seal the Thessalonian converts were so distinguished, that
St. Paul did not hesitate to infer, from what he saw in them,
that they were God's chosen people : when he called to mind
" their works of faith, and labours of love, and patience of
hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, he knew from it their election
of Godk." And on all true believers this seal is found:
God's " peculiar people are invariably found to be holy and
zealous of good works1."
Now this consideration may well reconcile us to the exercise
of God's sovereign grace : for, if the idea of God's choice being-
altogether uninfluenced by holiness, either seen or foreseen
in the objects of his choice, appear to militate against the
interests of morality, the circumstance of God's having in
separably united this seal with the foregoing, sufficiently
removes all fear on that head. In God's mind, our sanctifica
tion is as much ordained as our final salvation : " We are
chosen, that we may be holym" and " elect unto obedience*1"
and predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son ° :
and in this way alone will any one finally attain the salvation
of his soul ; since it is only in, and by, and through the means,
that God has ordained the end : " He has from the beginning
chosen us to salvation; but it is through sanctification of the
Spirit, and belief of the truth P."]
3. By the manifestation of God's love to their
souls—
[The Holy Spirit is a " Spirit of adoption " in the hearts
of God's people q: he is also a " Witness testifying of their
adoption r :" yea, he is to them, and within them, an earnest
of their everlasting inheritance8; "shedding abroad in their
hearts that love of God," which will constitute their happiness
through eternal ages*. In this also he operates as a seal, as
St. Paul has said in reference to all true Christians : " Now
he who establisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed
us, is God ; who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of
the Spirit in our hearts u."
By the first of these seals we are known to God alone : by
k 1 Thess. i. 3, 4. 1 Tit. ii. 14. ™ Eph. i. 4.
» 1 Pet. i. 2. ° Rom. viii. 29. P 2 Thess. ii. 13.
<i Rom. viii. 15. r Rom, viii. 16.
* Kph. i. 13. 2 Cor. v. 5. * Rom. v. 5.
« 2 Cor. i. 21, 22.
364 EPHESIANS, IV. 30. [2112.
the second, we are discoverable to those around us : by the
last, an assurance of our happiness is imparted to our own
souls. And though the impression of the two last is not at
all times equally clear and strong, yet is it the privilege of all
to possess them ; and in proportion only as these last exist,
will the first be ascertained.]
In connexion with the privileges of believers, we
may well consider,
II. Their duty towards their gracious Benefactor—
The Holy Spirit is here represented as a parent,
who, from his tender solicitude for the welfare of his
children, is deeply " grieved" when they defeat in
any respect the purposes of his love towards them.
Now we may grieve the Holy Spirit,
1. By departing from the truth in our principles—
[The particular office assigned to the Holy Spirit in the
economy of redemption, is, to " glorify Christ," by receiving
of the things that are his, and " shewing them unto usx.'
Now in this office he delights : and when we duly appreciate
the excellencies of Christ, and " behold his glory as the glory
of the only-begotten of the Father," then is the Holy Spirit
delighted to dwell with us, and to carry on the whole work of
grace in our souls. But when we suffer the wily " serpent to
beguile us, and to turn us from the simplicity that is in Christ,"
then is the Spirit grieved : for he is a jealous God, and espe
cially jealous for the honour of that Saviour, whose cause he
has espoused. Against two things then in particular we have
to guard, namely, against philosophical subtilties on the one
hand, and Jewish superstitions on the other. By both the one
and the other of these was the Church of God rent, in the very
first ages of Christianity ; and thousands of souls were sub
verted by them. By the same are we also endangered. Our
natural pride and self-conceit are ever at work, to add some
thing to what God has revealed or to detract somewhat from
it. Perhaps the simplicity of the Gospel is that which most
offends the carnal mind. A simple life of faith upon the Son
of God, as having loved us and given himself for us, is most
difficult to be maintained. We want to be something, or to
do something, that so we may share the glory of Christ, and
ascribe some part of his honour to ourselves : but he is all,
and must be all ; and " all who glory, must glory in him
x Johnxvi. 14.
2112.] GRIEVING THE SPIRIT. 3G5
aloney"- By retaining in constant exercise this humble
and childlike spirit, we shall obtain frequent tokens of God's
favourable acceptance : but by departing from it, we shall
provoke him to hide his face from us.]
2. By dishonouring it in our practice—
[To this more especially does the Apostle refer, both in
the preceding and following context. Unhallowed tempers
and dispositions are most offensive to the Spirit of God. O
that all the professors of religion throughout the world were
made duly sensible cf this truth! But, whether they consider
it or not, God will not dwell where there is bitterness and
wrath, and anger and clamour, and evil-speaking and malice,
or an habitual want of a forbearing and forgiving spirit.
Falsehood too in our words, and dishonesty in our dealings,
and impurity in our hearts, will assuredly drive him from us,
and bring down upon us the tokens of his displeasure : " If
any man defile the temple of God, him will God destroy2."
It is no uncommon thing to find those who profess religion
low and miserable in their minds. But we should not wonder
at it, if we knew what abominations are harboured in their
hearts : we should rather wonder that God bears so long with
them, and that his wrath does not break forth to consume
them in an instant. Let us never forget this, that as well
may light have fellowship with darkness, and Christ with
Belial, as the Spirit of God abide with those who yield not
to his sanctifying operations. If, instead of conforming our
selves to the mind that was in Christ, we rebel against him,
we shall " vex his Holy Spirit, and provoke him to become
our enemy3."]
ADDRESS—
1. Those who comply not with the written word—
[The word which is recorded in the Scriptures of truth is
God's word : it is altogether given by inspiration from the
Holy Ghost. If therefore we comply not with that, we resist
the Holy Ghost, and " do despite to him" Consider this, ye
who receive not the word with all humility of mind, or labour
not to conform to it in your life and conversation : think,
whom it is that ye resist and rebel against ; even Him, who,
if lie depart from you, will leave you in a bondage from which
you can never be delivered, and in misery from which you can
never be redeemed b. O learn to tremble at the word of God,
y Here reference may be made to any " questions and strifes of
words" whicli may be agitated in the Church : for they all, when
unduly insisted on, grieve the Holy Spirit.
z 1 Cor. iii. 17. a Isui. Ixiii. 10. b Hos. iv. 17. and ix. 1 •_>.
366 EPHESIANS, IV. 30. [2112.
and beg that your whole souls may be so melted and poured
into its mould, as to assume its every feature, and be formed
into the perfect image of your God.]
2. Those who rest in a mere formal compliance
with it—
[You cannot deceive that blessed Spirit whose province it
is to search the heart and try the reins. He requires " truth
in our inward parts :" he requires that your heart be right
with him ; that you " walk in the Spirit," and " pray in the
Spirit," and "live in the Spirit," and give yourselves up
altogether to his godly motions. Do not therefore dissemble
with him, lest he give you up to your own delusions, and seal
you up in utter impenitence to the day of final retribution.
Of those who held the truth in unrighteousness, we are told
that he gave them up to a reprobate mind. I pray you, bring
not upon yourselves this heaviest of all judgments : but
to-day, while it is called to-day, surrender up yourselves
entirely to his guidance, that he may "make you perfect in
every good work, working in you that which is well-pleasing
in his sight through Christ Jesus c."]
3. Those who are endeavouring to please him in
all things —
[The day of redemption is near at hand. O blessed day,
when all the remains of sin and sorrow shall be for ever
banished from the soul ! Look forward to it ; and order your
every action, word, and thought, in reference to it. Pray to
the Holy Spirit to work yet more and more powerfully upon
you, in order to prepare you for your appearance before the
judgment-seat of Christ. Guard against any sloth in the
ways of God, lest, like the Church of old, you cause him to
suspend the communications of his loved. Pray to him to
give you that white stone, which none but he who has it can
appreciate, and which has on it the name written, which none
but he who possesses it can reade. Then shall you already
even now enjoy a foretaste of your heavenly inheritance,
and in due season " have an abundant entrance ministered
unto you into the kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ."]
c Heb. xiii. 20, 21. d Cant. v. 2 — 0. e Rev. ii. 17.
2113.] FORGIVENESS OF SINS. 367
MMCXIII.
FORGIVENESS OF SINS.
Eph. iv. 32. God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you.
IF a minister of Christ is bound to preach the
Gospel with all plainness and fidelity, he is no less
bound to guard it against abuse, and to inculcate
on the professors of it the strictest conformity to the
commands of God. St. Paul was careful to insist
upon even the minutest parts of practical piety ; and
to shew, that the Gospel not only required, but had
a direct tendency to produce, holiness, both in heart
and life. In truth, if our religion do not prevail to
regulate our tempers, and to correct every evil dis
position of the soul, it is not sincere ; nor will it ever
be approved of God in the day of judgment. Yet, in
enforcing practical duties, we should take care to urge
them upon right principles ; not as a forced obe
dience to the law, in order to obtain acceptance with
God, but as a willing effort to adorn the Gospel,
through which we have already been accepted of him.
A sense of God's pardoning love should animate us,
rather than a servile fear of his displeasure : and,
whilst God's mercy to us should operate as a motive
to obey him, it should also serve us as a pattern for
our own conduct towards our offending brethren,
whom we should " forgive, even as God, for Christ's
sake, hath forgiven us."
Now, it is a fact, that forgiveness is bestowed on
men whilst they are yet in this world. And this
truth I shall consider,
I. As revealed in Scripture —
The truth itself is fully declared—
[God, in proclaiming his name to Moses, represented
himself chiefly under the character of a sin-pardoning God :
" The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, abundant
in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving
iniquity, transgression, and sina." And the whole of his deal
ings with his people, in every age, have borne testimony to
a Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7.
368 EPHESIANS, IV. 32. [2113.
him in this view, as " a God delighting in mercy," and as
accounting "judgment a strange act," to which he was utterly
averse. The whole of the Scripture declarations may be
comprised in that saying of the prophet, " Let the wicked
forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts : and
let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon
him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon V To
cite the New Testament in confirmation of this truth is need
less ; seeing that, from one end of it to the other, it proclaims
God as "rich in mercy unto all that call upon him."]
The ground of all his mercies is also declared —
[All the favour that God bears to man is " for Christ's
sake." This was shewn from the first moment that his de
signs of mercy were revealed to fallen man. There can be no
doubt but that sacrifices were ordained of God, for the pur
pose of shadowing forth that great sacrifice which should, in
idue time, be offered for the sins of the whole world. For
Abel offered his sacrifice in faithc: but faith must have re
spect to the word of God ; and, consequently, God must have
previously made known to man the way in which alone a sin
ner should find acceptance with him. Indeed, though we are
not expressly told that the animals, with the skins of which
God clothed our first parents, were offered in sacrifice, I can
scarcely doubt but that the whole mystery of the Gospel was
revealed to them in that act ; and they were taught, that
through the sacrifice of Christ their iniquities should be for
given, and that through the righteousness of Christ they
should stand with acceptance before God. The whole of the
Mosaic economy exhibited this truth in the most striking
colours, in that no person could come to God but by sacrifice ;
and " without shedding of blood there was no remission of
sinsd." On this subject the New Testament expatiates in every
part ; referring our reconciliation with God to the atoning
blood of Christ6, and declaring that " no man cometh unto the
Father but by Christ f." The whole labour of the Apostles
was to make this known : " Be it known unto you, men and
brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the
forgiveness of sins ; and by him all that believe are justified
from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the
law of Moses g."]
In my text, the Apostle not only asserts this truth,
but speaks of it,
II. As experienced in the soul—
b Isai. Iv. 7. c Heb. xi. 4. d Heb. ix. 22.
e 2 Ccr v. 19. f John xiv. 0. s Acts xiii. 38, 39,
2113.] FORGIVENESS OF SINS. 369
Many will not admit that any one can know his
sins forgiven. And I readily acknowledge, that it is
a point on which a man may easily deceive his own
soul, especially if he judge of it by any other criterion
than that which God himself has proposed. If the
life and conversation bear witness to us that we are
the Lord's, then may we safely indulge the hope that
we are accepted of him.
God has, in former ages, given to men an assurance
of his favour—
[To Abel this was given by some visible sign, which ex
cited the envy and wrath of his brother Cainh. David, on the
very first acknowledgment of his transgression, was informed
by Nathan that his sin was pardoned1; and he himself takes
notice of it in a psalm of grateful acknowledgment : " I said, I
will confess my transgressions unto the Lord : and thou for-
gavest the iniquity of my sink." To Hezekiah and Isaiah
were similar assurances given1. And our blessed Lord hot
only repeatedly vouchsafed this blessing to those who waited
on him, but maintained his right to do so against those who
questioned his power and authority to pardon sinm.]
At present, also, is the same blessing still vouch
safed to his faithful servants —
[What can be meant by the Spirit of adoption that is
given to the believing souln? What can be meant by the
witness of the Spirit0, the sealing of the Spirit5, the earnest
of the Spiritq? What can be meant by "the love of God
shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Ghostr," if God never
imparts to his people a sense of his pardoning love ? I grant
that if these divine sensations be not accompanied with a holy
life, they are a mere illusion : but if the whole of our character
and deportment be such as becomes the Gospel, then may we
assure ourselves that these testimonies are from God, and that
" our names are indeed written in the book of life8." We may
"know that we have passed from death unto life*." Nor is
this the privilege of the adult Christian only : for even the least
in the family of Christ may possess it : as St. John says, " I
write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven
h Gen. iv. 4, 5. { 2 Sam, xii. 13. k Ps. xxxii. 5.
1 Isai. vi. 7. and xxxviii. 17.
ra Matt. ix. 2 — 6. Luke vii. 48 — 50. n Rom. viii. 15.
0 Rom. viii. 1G. P Eph. i. 13. 1 Eph. i. 14.
r Rom. v. 5. s Luke x. 20. * 1 John iii. 14.
\OL. xvn. B B
370 EPHESIANS TV. 32. [2113.
you for the sake of Christ u." And to the whole Ephesian
Church it was proclaimed, " God, for Christ's sake, hath for
given you."]
But it is not merely as comforting the soul that I
insist on this, but chiefly and principally,
III. As operating in the life —
A sense of God's pardoning love should operate on
us generally —
[Nothing but this will ever call forth our energies fully
in the service of our God. It is " the love of Christ that
must constrain us :" and that, duly apprehended, will cause
us to live altogether unto Him who died for us, and rose
again x ]
More particularly should it produce in us a for
giving temper against our offending brethren —
[A spirit of forbearance and forgiveness is insisted on by
the inspired writers, as indispensable to the Christian cha
racter ; insomuch, that a person who is not under its influence
has no hope of obtaining mercy at the hands of God. The
mercy which we ourselves have received for Christ's sake, is
proposed in my text as a powerful motive for the exercise of
a forgiving disposition on our part, and as a pattern which, in
the exercise of it, we should resemble. The same important
truth is taught us in the parable of the unforgiving servant ;
who, when forgiven by his master ten thousand talents, seized
a fellow-servant by the throat, and cast him into prison for
the trifling debt of one hundred pence. For such merciless
conduct his lord was justly incensed against him ; as he will
be against all who know not how to imitate the goodness of
their Gody. It is on this principle that our Lord requires us
to " forgive an offending brother, not seven times in a day,
but seventy times seven z." For, if we call to remembrance
our own offences, and consider for a moment how great and
multiplied they have been, we shall see, that no injury which
a fellow-creature can do to us can bear any proportion to the
offences which we have committed against God : and, conse
quently, that there should be no disposition in us but to
render to our fellow-creatures according to what we ourselves
have received at the hands of God.]
» 1 John ii. 12. x 2 Cor. v. 15.
y Matt, xviii. 23 — 35. There was no proportion between the
debts, the one being about three pounds, and the other nearly seven
millions.
z Matt, xviii. 21, 22.
2114.] CHRIST'S LOVE A PATTERN FOR OURS. 371
APPLICATION—
1. Be sensible of your obligations to the Lord
Jesus Christ —
[It is not for your own sake that God has forgiven you,
but for his dear Son's sake. And if Christ had not interposed
for you, to reconcile you unto God by his own death upon the
cross, you would to all eternity have been in the condition of
the fallen angels, who are receiving in hell the due recompence
for their sins. Reflect, then, on your desert before God, and
on the mercy you are receiving at his hands ; and then direct
your eyes to the Saviour, and give him the glory due unto
his name. Of course, it is here supposed that you have deeply
repented of your sins, and " fled for refuge to Christ, as to
the hope set before you:" for, if you have not thus come to
Christ, you are yet " aliens from the commonwealth of Israel,
and strangers from the covenants of promise, and without any
scriptural hope of salvation" -But if, indeed, you
have believed in Christ, then should every faculty of your
soul be called forth in grateful and continual praises for
all that you now enjoy, and all that you hope for in a better
world ]
2. Endeavour to requite them in the way that he
himself has enjoined —
[Look, not to your conduct merely, but to the inmost
dispositions of your souls. His love to you should be the
model of your love to others. Let his image, then, be seen
upon you. And, as men are known by the very form of the
characters they write, so "be ye epistles of Christ, known
and read of all mena." " Let the same mind be in you as
was in himb;" and, " as he has loved you, see that ye also
love one another0."]
a 2 Cor. iii. 2, 3. b Phil. ii. 5. c John xiii. 34.
MMCXIV.
CHRIST'S LOVE A PATTERN FOR OURS.
Eph. v. 2. Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and
hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God
for a sweet-smelling savour.
TO restore us to the Divine image is one great
end of all that the Lord Jesus Christ has done and
suffered for us. There are indeed perfections in the
Deity which are incommunicable to any creature ;
B B 2
372 EPHESIANS, V. 2. [2114.
but his moral perfections admit of imitation and
resemblance : and therefore we are exhorted to " be
followers, or imitators, of God, as dear children a."
But in the person of our blessed Lord and Saviour,
Jehovah is brought nearer to us, so that we may
trace his very steps, and learn to follow him in every
disposition of the mind, and every action of the life.
Hence in the passage before us, whilst we are parti
cularly informed of the manner in which he has dis
played his love to man, we are exhorted to " walk in
love, as he has loved us."
In our further elucidation of these words, we shall
be led to speak of the Lord Jesus Christ in a two
fold view ;
I. As a sacrifice to God-
It was not merely as a martyr that Jesus died, but
as a sacrifice for sin. This appears,
1. From all the sacrifices of the Mosaic law —
[For what end were these instituted, but to prefigure
him ? These beyond a doubt were offerings for sin, the vic
tims dying in the place of the offerer, and making an atone
ment for him by their blood : and if the Lord Jesus Christ did
not correspond with them in this particular, and actually fulfil
what those prefigured, they were all instituted in vain, and
were shadows without any substance at all.]
2. From the declarations of the prophets —
[The prophet thus plainly speaks of Christ as dying for
the sins of men ; " He made his soul an offering for sin :"
" He bare the sins of many :" " On him were laid the iniquity
of us allb." What is the import of these testimonies, if Christ
did not offer himself a sacrifice for sin ?]
3. From the testimony of John the Baptist —
[It was in reference to the lambs that were offered every
morning and evening for the sins of all Israel, that the Baptist
spake, when he pointed out the Lord Jesus as " the Lamb
of God that taketh away the sins of the world." If Christ
were not a sacrifice for sin, this testimony was not founded in
truth.]
4. From the declarations of Christ himself—
a ver. 1. b Isai. liii. 6, 10, 12.
2114.] CHRIST'S LOVE A PATTERN FOR OURS. 373
[He constantly affirmed, that " he came to give his life a
ransom for many:" that his blood should be shed for the
remission of sins ; and that by being " lifted up upon the
cross, he would draw all men unto him."]
5. From the united testimony of all the Apostles —
[All with one voice represent him as redeeming us to
God by his blood, and offering himself as " a propitiation,
not for our sins only, but also for the sins of the whole
world." In a word, the whole tenour of the sacred writings
proves, that " he bare our sins in his own body on the tree,"
and " died, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to
God."]
But in all this he was further designed,
II. As an example to us —
In the circumstance before noticed, we cannot
resemble him ; for " no man can redeem his brother,
or give to God a ransom for him." Nevertheless in
the love which instigated him to this we may re
semble him. Our love, like his, should be,
1. Disinterested —
[It is not possible for us to add any thing to him : we
cannot make him more happy or more glorious by any thing
that we can do : " our goodness extendeth not to him ;" " nor
can we by any means profit him :" yet did he in this astonish
ing manner display his love to us. Thus in the exercise of
our love we should not consider whether the objects of it will
ever be able to make us any suitable return : we should shew
love in every possible way, without so much as desiring any
return from man, or even desiring that our exercise of it should
be known ; yea, even though we knew that it would only be
requited with evil. We should love our very enemies ; and,
" instead of being overcome of evil, should strive incessantly
to overcome their evil with good."]
2. Generous —
[What unsearchable riches has he purchased even for his
bitterest enemies? He would not that any one of them
should fall short of the glory of heaven. True it is, that we
cannot thus enrich the objects of our love : yet we should do
all we can towards it, by providing for them not only the
things needful for the body, but, above all, the things that may
promote the welfare of the soul. Here the poor may be on
a par with those who are able to give out of their abundance :
for if they are constrained to say, " Silver and gold have I
374 EPHESIANS, V. 2. [2114.
none," they may add, " but such as I have, give I unto
thee ;" and then may proceed to speak to them of the Saviour,
through whom they may obtain all the blessings of salvation.
Thus, " though poor, we may make many rich."]
3. Self-denying —
[Our blessed Lord " emptied himself of all the glory of
heaven," and endured all the wrath of an offended God ; and
became a curse himself, in order to deliver us from the curse
which our iniquities had deserved. And shall we decline
exercising our love, because it may be attended with some
pain or difficulty on our part ? No : we should not hesitate
even to lay down life itself, if by so doing we may promote
the eternal welfare of our brethren0.]
4. Constant —
[" Whom our Lord loved, he loved to the end." There
were many occasions whereon his immediate disciples dis
pleased him : but he did not therefore " withdraw his mercy
from them, or shut up his loving-kindness in displeasure."
There are occasions also whereon we shall be called to ex
ercise forbearance and forgiveness one towards another; and
we ought to meet those occasions with love proportioned to
them. We should strive with all our might to " follow peace
with all men," and to " keep the unity of the Spirit in the
bond of peace."]
ADDRESS—
1. Be thankful to Christ for all the wonders of his
love —
[Think how unworthy you were of all his love : for, it wras
" when you were yet enemies, that he died for you." Think
too what must have been your state to all eternity, if He had
not so " undertaken for you :" his sufferings under the hidings
of his Father's face, and under the strokes of Divine justice,
shew what miseries awaited you in hell for ever, if He had not
become your substitute and surety to discharge your debt.
O ! never for a moment lose sight of the obligations you owe
to him for that " love of his, which passeth knowledge."]
2. Present yourselves as living sacrifices to him —
[This may be done ; and it is the very end for which such
astonishing mercies have been vouchsafed to youd. Consider
all that you are, and all that you have, as his : and let it all
be devoted henceforth to the glory of his name.]
3. Endeavour to resemble him more and more —
c 1 John iii. 16. d Rom. xii. 1.
2115.] FATAL CONSEQUENCES OF INDULGED SIN. 375
[Whatever attainments you may have made, you must
still be aspiring after higher degrees of love6. Look at him
then, not only as the ground of your hopes, but as the pattern
for your imitation. Trace him in all the labours of his love :
trace him from heaven to earth, and from earth to heaven :
trace him in all that he either did or suffered : and study to
resemble him in the whole of his spirit and deportment. In
all his labours " God smelled a sweet savour ;" even as he had
done in those offerings and sacrifices by which Christ had been
shadowed forthf: and though your labours of love can never
resemble his, as making an atonement for sin, they shall, like
his, come up for a memorial before God, and be accepted as
well-pleasing in his sights.]
e 1 Thess. iv. 9, 10. f Gen. viii. 21. Lev. i. 9.
s Heb. vi. 10. and xiii. 16.
MMCXV.
FATAL CONSEQUENCES OF INDULGED SIN.
Eph. v. 5 — 7. This ye know, that no whoremonger, nor un
clean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any
inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no
man deceive you with vain words: for because of these
things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of dis
obedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
NEVER can we be wrong in bearing our testi
mony against sin. As for those who, from a zeal
for the Gospel, pass over subjects of this kind as
legal, we cannot but think them grievously mistaken .
for St. Paul, whose love to the Gospel was so ardent,
that " he counted all things but dung and dross for
the knowledge of it," was inferior to no man in incul
cating the necessity of holiness, or in denouncing the
judgments of God against indulged sin. The words
before us amply illustrate this : for, specifying parti
cular sins, which would surely prove fatal to all who
lived in them, he made them the subject of a faithful
appeal, and of a most solemn warning to the Church
of God in all ages.
Were we to speak of this subject under distinct
heads, those which we have just mentioned would
afford an easy arrangement : but on such a subject as
376 EPHESIANS, V. 5—7. [2115.
this, I think that the mention of distinct heads would
be an interruption to us, and weaken the impression
which the text itself is calculated to convey.
We declare then to you, brethren, that sin in
dulged will destroy your souls —
[The Scriptures speak of sin under the twofold character,
of the " filthiness of the flesh, and the filthiness of the spirita."
Both these kinds of sin are mentioned in my text : " fornication
anduncleanness" belonging to " the flesh," and "covetousness"
having its seat rather in "the spirit." Now these, whether
more open and flagrant, or more secret and refined, are alike
fatal to the soul, if they be harboured and indulged. They
alike exclude us from heaven : for it is impossible that a per
son who lives in the commission of them should " have any
inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God" ]
And " this" if you know any thing of Christianity,
" you know" —
[The whole voice of Scripture declares it. Even reason
itself may be considered as bearing testimony to it : for what
delight can a holy God take in an unholy being ? or how can
the Lord Jesus Christ, " who died to destroy the works of the
devil, exalt to a participation of his kingdom one who is ful-
fulling the works of the devil? We may as well conceive that
" Christ and Belial should have communion with each other,"
as that a man who regards and retains iniquity in his heart
should enter into the kingdom of heaven ]
Let nothing, therefore, weaken the impression of
this upon your minds—
[There are those who will dispute against this. They
will speak of " un cleanness," especially if the marriage-bed be
not invaded, as, at most, a venial fault, necessarily arising from
the ardour of youth, and undeserving of any serious regard.
And as to " covetousness," there is no such thing existing in
the world, if every person's estimate of himself may be relied
on. Men will, indeed, impute it to others ; but no one acknow
ledges it in himself. Every one covers it with some specious
name : ' It is prudence, economy, diligence, a proper regard
for one's family ; and surely there can be no blame attached
to habits like these.' But let it be remembered what " covet
ousness "is: it is a desiring of any thing for its own sake, that
we may find our happiness in it, rather than in God; and
place our dependence on it, rather than on God : and that
a 2 Cor. vii. 1 .
2115.] FATAL CONSEQUENCES OF INDULGED SIN. 377
whether it be in a man of opulence, or in a person of low
degree, is equally " idolatry," and will infallibly exclude a man
from the kingdom of God. As for all the pretexts that may
be urged either for this or for uncleanness, they are but " vain
words," that will " deceive you," to your eternal ruin. Look
and see what fornication brought upon the whole nation of
Israel b : or what coveting did in the case of Achan ; who,
amongst two millions of people was singled out by lotc : and
be assured, that however secret your sin be, or however sanc
tioned by the habits of those around you, " the wrath of God
will, sooner or later, come on all the children of disobedience"
Full well I know, how pleasing it is to be told that
we have nothing to fear, and how ready we are to credit such
unfounded assertions: but to what purpose will it be to
" speak peace to ourselves, when God has said that there is no
peace ? " I warn you then, beloved, not to listen to any such
delusive suggestions, by whomsoever they may be offered :
but " let God be true, and every man a liar."]
And let nothing under heaven induce you to com
ply with the solicitations of others, or to imitate their
sins—
[Though you are united in a Christian society, and pro
fess all the doctrines of Christianity, you still are liable to be
seduced by the arguments and examples of those around you.
But remember, that, if you are partakers with others in their
sins, you shall be " partakers also with them in their plagues d."
And it will be little consolation to you, in the eternal world,
that you have partners in misery : nor will it be any excuse
for you, that you have been deceived. God cautions you
against deceit, whether it originate in yourselves or others.
His word is plain : his warnings are solemn : and if you will
not obey his voice, you must reap the fruits of your folly.
Unite not, then, with any in a course of sin. Partake not with
any, either in following their evil ways, or in giving your sanc
tion to them. Your duty is, to " have no fellowship with the
unfruitful works of darkness, but rather to reprove them6."
If you profess to be children of light, then must you walk
worthy of your holy profession, " shining, before all, as lights
in the world."]
If, however, you have been drawn aside to sin,
then humble yourselves for it without delay, and turn
unto your God in newness of life—
h Numb. xxv. 1. with 1 Cor. x. 8. c Josh. vii. 10 — 26.
d Rev. xviii. 4. e ver. 11.
378 EPHESIANS, V. 8. [2116.
[Blessed be God ! your state is not hopeless, though you
may have fallen into sin. For at Corinth there were some who
had been guilty of the very transgressions here referred to,
and yet had obtained mercy through Christ : " Such were
some of you," says St. Paul ; " but ye are washed, but ye are
sanctified, but ye are justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus,
and by the Spirit of our Godf." So, then, may ye be washed,
and justified, and sanctified, if you turn unto God through
Christ. The blood of Christ shall be sufficient for you, as
it was for them; and the Spirit of Christ shall operate as
effectually in you as in them. " Only acknowledge your trans
gressions," and " flee for refuge to the hope that is set before
you ;" so shall you find mercy of the Lord, and " your iniquity
shall not be your ruing."]
f 1 Cor. vi. 9—11. s Ezek. xviii. 30.
MMCXVI.
A CONSISTENT WALK ENJOINED.
Eph. v. 8. Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light
in the Lord : walk as children of light.
MANY imagine, that when they have believed in
Christ, the work in them is complete : and, if they
were then to die, it is true that they would be com
plete ; because it is said of all believers, " Ye are
complete in Christ, who is the Head of all principality
and power." But no man in this world is so com
plete, but that he still needs to be urged forward, by
warnings and exhortations, and promises and exam
ples. This is clearly manifest from all the apostolic
writings, in which the saints are cautioned against
every species of sin, and stimulated to every species
of duty. The latter half of this epistle is altogether
addressed to believers, in this precise point of view,
exhorting them to te walk worthy the vocation where
with they are called a." The truth is, that saints are
yet only as " brands plucked out of the burning :"
they still bear the marks of the fire strong upon them,
and are still in danger of being consumed by the in
fluence of fiery temptations, if God in his mercy do
a Eph. iv. 1.
2116.] A CONSISTENT WALK ENJOINED. 379
not preserve them. Their safety is in watchfulness
and prayer : in watchfulness, that they give not
occasion to Satan to inflame their souls with evil :
and in prayer, that, as soon as any spark shall light
upon them, it may be extinguished. To all, without
exception, of whom it may be said, " Ye were some
times darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord,"
the exhortation that is added must be addressed ;
" Walk as children of light."
In discoursing on these words, we shall be led to
shew,
1. The change which all true Christians have expe
rienced —
" They once were darkness" —
[The term, " darkness," in Scripture language, imports
ignorance, sin, and misery : and therefore most fitly expresses
the state of unconverted men. The mind of the natural man
is blind to the things of God : they are spiritual, and he can
not comprehend them for want of a spiritual discernment13.
He knows not the spirituality of God's law, or the total aliena
tion of his heart from God. He has no just views of the
Divine perfections, no adequate sense of his need of a Re
deemer; no true perception of the beauty of holiness, or of the
excellency of a life entirely devoted unto God. To himself he
lives, and not to God: he is a law unto himself, and does
nothing but with a view to the gratification of his own feelings.
Pleasure, interest, and honour, are the gods whom he serves :
and beyond the things of time and sense he has no object of
ambition or pursuit. In this state he may find what the world
calls happiness ; but to real happiness he is a stranger. What
ever satisfaction he feels, it is in a forgetfulness of eternal things
that he feels it, and not in the contemplation of them. The
thought of death and judgment is appalling to him; and is
sufficient to make him, like Belshazzar, tremble in the midst
of all his mirth ; so that " his countenance shall change, and
his knees smite one against the other0." It is the heart-
searching God who says, that there is " no real peace to such
persons01,'' but that "destruction and misery are in their
ways6."
Nor let it be thought that this is the character of some
only whose wickedness has been of a more flagrant nature : for
b 1 Cor. ii. 14. c Dan. v. G.
d Isai. Ivii. 20, 21. e Rom. iii. 10, 17.
380 EPHESIANS, V. 8. [2116.
St. Paul assures us, that it was once his own state, no less than
that of others f and therefore we may be sure that it is
common to all. Indeed a very little knowledge of mankind
will convince us, that " the whole world lieth in wickedness","
and unconverted men are not only dark, but " darkness" itself,
even darkness visible.]
But te they are now light in the Lord" —
[In their conversion they are " turned from darkness unto
light, and from the power of Satan unto God." Their views
of self, of sin, of God, of Christ, of every thing around them,
are changed In consequence of " the eyes of their
understanding being enlightened," they come forth from the
broad road in \vhich they have been walking, and begin to tread
the narrow, and less frequented paths, of holiness and life.
Their whole labour now is to " put off the old man, which is
corrupt according to the deceitful lusts ; and to put on the
new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true
holiness" -Now they are no longer under bondage to
the fear of death, or bowed down with the apprehensions of
God's eternal wrath : they see that he is reconciled towards
them in the Son of his love ; and with " a spirit of adoption
they come before him, crying, Abba, Father." In a word,
they now enjoy peace in their souls, even that " peace of God
which passeth all understanding"
All this they have " in the Lord," that is, by virtue of union
with him, and by grace derived from him. Being now mem
bers of Christ's mystical body, they possess all that is in him
their living Head, according to the measure of the grace they
have received from him. " With Christ is the fountain of life ;
and in his light they see light."]
Whilst we contemplate this blessed change, we
must not overlook,
II. The obligations it entails upon them —
Consistency is required of all : of course, if we
have been made " light in the Lord/' it becomes us to
" walk as children of light." By this expression we
are taught,
1. What line we are to pursue —
[The commandment of the Lord is a lamp, and his " law
is light11 :" and by his law are we to direct our steps. That
Holy Spirit who has opened our eyes, and renewed our hearts,
marks out for us our path, in direct opposition to that which
f Eph. ii. 3. Tit. iii. 3. e I John v. 19. h Prov. vi. 23.
2116.] A CONSISTENT WALK ENJOINED. 381
the unconverted world pursue ; as the Apostle tells us in the
words following our text : " The fruit of the Spirit is in all
goodness and righteousness and truth." Whilst the ungodly
indulge in all the fore-mentioned iniquities, our conduct is to
be the very reverse of theirs. In opposition to all unholy
tempers1, we are to abound in every thing that is " lovely and
of good report" In opposition to all that may inter
fere with the welfare of others k, we are to do in all things
precisely as, in a change of circumstances, we should think it
right for our neighbour to do unto us And in the
whole of our deportment towards both God and man, there
should be the most inviolable " truth," even a perfect integrity
of mind, a spirit that is without guile Perhaps we may
get somewhat of an idea of our duty from what we behold
amongst the heavenly bodies. The stars are all irradiated by
the sun ; and in respect of that great luminary, may be called
children of light. These, according to their capacity, reflect
the brightness of the sun, and impart to others the light they
have received. So it should be with us : we should make our
light to shine before men, that so those who behold us may
know how to walk, at the same time that they are constrained
to glorify that Sun of Righteousness whose beams we reflect.
This is the idea inculcated by the Apostle himself, who tells
us, that we must " shine as lights in the world, holding forth
the word of life1," and " proving" in our own persons " what
is acceptable unto the Lordm."]
But there is yet another idea, and a very important one,
suggested in this expression, " children of light." It is the
property of light to make things manifest; and consequently,
we are to bear our testimony against all the deeds of darkness,
not only " having no fellowship with them, (for " what fellow
ship can light have with darkness11?") but reproving them0,"
and bearing our testimony for God against all who commit
them.
Such then must our conduct be, holy and exemplary, de
cided and firm.]
2. In what spirit we should walk in it —
[" Children of disobedience" are such as, from the pro
pensity of their nature, live in wilful and habitual disobedience
to God's commands. So " children of light," from the impulse
of the Holy Spirit, walk cheerfully and habitually in the ways
of God. They are not compelled, like slaves, to serve him
against their will ; but, like dear children, they love their
Father's will, and find his ways to be ways of pleasantness and
1 Eph. iv. 31. k ver. 3. * Phil. ii. 15, 16.
m ver. 10. n 2 Cor. vi. 14. ° ver. 11, 13.
382 EPHESIANS, V. 8. [2116.
peace. Nor is it merely on some particular occasions that
they obey his voice : they do it constantly, and without re
serve : " they delight to do his will;" and " run the way of his
commandments with enlarged hearts." This characterizes the
angels around the throne : and it distinguishes also the children
of the living God : they " do his will, hearkening to the voice
of his wordp," and making every succeeding act a prelude to
yet further services.]
ADDRESS—
1. Those who have never yet experienced this
change —
[Be assured, it must be experienced before you can ever
enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whether your lives have
been more or less polluted with outward sin, you have all
equally lived to yourselves, instead of unto God : and your
consciences bear testimony against you, that to secure an
interest in Christ, and to grow up into his image, and to live
for his glory, have not been the great objects of your ambition,
nor has your departure from this path been any source of humi
liation to your souls. What is darkness, if this be not ? It is,
in fact, a living " without God in the world :" and this path,
if persisted in, will bring you to " the blackness of darkness
for ever." But I thank God, there is no room for despon
dency. The Lord Jesus Christ has " come a light into the
world, that whoso followeth him should not walk in darkness,
but have the light of lifeq." For this very end was he given,
that " he should be a light to the Gentiles, and say to the
prisoners, Go forth ; and to them that are in darkness, Shew
yourselves r." Despair not therefore ; but entreat, that, as the
Sun of Righteousness, he would " arise upon you with healing
in his wings." And hear, for your encouragement, his gra
cious promise: " I will bring the blind by a way that they
knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not
known : I will make darkness light before them, and crooked
things straight : these things will I do unto them, and not
forsake them8." But delay not to seek these blessings at his
hands. Seek them " before he cause your darkness to in
crease, and before your feet stumble on the dark mountains,
and, while ye are looking for light, he turn it into the shadow
of death, and make it gross darkness*." To this effect our
Saviour himself charges you : " Yet a little while is the light
with you : walk whilst ye have the light, lest darkness come
upon you. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye
may be the children of light11."]
P Ps. ciii. 20. q John viii. 12. r Isai. xlix. G, 9.
s Isai. xlii. 1G. * Jer. xiii. 1G. ll John xii. 35, 36.
2117.] PRACTICAL CHRISTIANITY. 383
2. Those who have an evidence in themselves that
it has been wrought in them —
[However the world may despise it as enthusiasm, there
are many who have " passed from death unto life," and " been
brought out of darkness into marvellous light." O rejoice in
the Lord, who hath done such great things for you ! And
now set yourselves to walk worthy of this high calling. Think
what manner of persons ye ought to be, and what a holy
heavenly conversation becomes you. Guard against every
degree of return to your former state. Guard against those
who would draw you back, or impede your progress in the
heavenly life. It is your privilege " to walk in the light, as
God is in the lightx;" and to have your path like " the shining
light, shining more and more unto the perfect dayy." And,
whilst this is really the desire and labour of your souls, fear
not : your God will be with you, " causing your light to rise
in obscurity, and your darkness to be as the noon-day." Then
may you look forward with confidence to that day, when your
present light, like that of a taper, shall be eclipsed by the
infinitely brighter splendour of the sun; even to that day,
when " the sun shall be no more your light by day, neither
for brightness shall the moon give light unto you; but the
Lord shall be unto you an everlasting light, and your God your
glory2."]
x 1 John i. 6, 7. y Prov. iv. 18. z Isai. Ix. 19, 20.
MMCXVII.
PRACTICAL CHRISTIANITY.
Eph. v. 9. The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, and
righteousness, and truth.
THERE is in the minds of many a prejudice
against the writings of St. Paul, as though they con
tained nothing but dissertations about predestination
and election, and were calculated rather to drive
people to despondence than to improve their morals.
But there are no writings in the whole sacred volume
more practical than his. True it is, that he unfolds
the whole mystery of godliness more fully and more
deeply than others : and he seems to have been
raised up of God for that very end, that the theory
of religion might be more distinctly known : but, in
384 EPHESIANS, V. 9. [2117.
all his epistles, he has an especial respect to the
interests of morality ; the standard of which he
elevates to an extent unknown before, and for the
practice of which he adduces motives which never
till that time were duly appreciated. In no one of
his epistles does he maintain more strongly those
doctrines which are thought so objectionable, than in
this : yet is one half of the epistle occupied with
exhortations to holiness, in all its different bearings
and relations.
In the words before us we have, what I may call,
a compendium, or summary, of Christian morals.
And, that we may know what practical Christianity
really is, I will,
I. Mark it in its offices —
Sanctification, both in heart and life, is the great
end of the Gospel, and a most essential part of that
redemption which is there revealed to us. It is
here set forth as including,
1. Goodness —
[Goodness is the one all-comprehensive character of the
Deity. It shines forth in all his works : it meets us where-
ever we turn our eyes : " The earth is full of the goodness of
the LordV The effect of the Gospel is, to transform us into
his image : and this it does ; creating it in our hearts, and
calling it forth in our lives. Under the influence of this
divine principle, we shall seek to promote the happiness of all
around us. Whatever is amiable, and lovely, and of good
report, in the spirit and temper of the mind, we shall cul
tivate it to the uttermost, and exercise it on all occasions.
There will be no trouble which we shall not labour to alle
viate ; no want which we shall not endeavour to supply. To
"be good, and do good," even like God himself b, will be the
summit of our ambition, and the very end of our lives.]
2. Righteousness —
[Whilst goodness is spontaneous, and acts irrespective of
any particular claim which men may have upon us, "righteous
ness " has respect to the obligations which we lie under to
" render unto all their dues." This, also, the Gospel forms
within us ; stirring us up, both in word and deed, to act
a Ps. xxxiii. 5. b Ps. cxix. 68.
2117.] PRACTICAL CHRISTIANITY. 385
towards others as we, in a change of circumstances, should
think it right for them to do unto us. There is in the heart
of man a selfishness, which disposes him to see every thing
with partial eyes ; magnifying his own rights, and overlooking
the rights of others. This disposition the Gospel will subdue
and mortify ; and, in its place, it will establish a principle of
universal equity, that will weigh the claims of others with
exactness, and prompt us, under all circumstances, rather to
" suffer wrong than to do wrong0."]
3. Truth-
[This is the perfection of Christian morals, or the bond
which keeps all the other graces in their place d. Where the
Gospel has had its perfect work, there will be " a spirit that
is without guile6." The Christian is a. pellucid character: he
appears as he is, and is what he appears.
You will perceive, that, in immediate connexion with our
text, the Apostle says, " Walk as children of the light : for
the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, and righteousness,
and truth." Now, here the three graces mentioned in the
text are represented as constituting light, or, at least, as com
prehending all that is contained in that image. Now, of all
things in the whole creation, light is the most pure (for it is
incapable of defilement); the most innocent (for it injures
nothing, which has not, through its own weakness, an aver
sion to its rays) ; and the most beneficial (for there is not a
thing in the universe, possessed of animal or vegetable life,
which is not nourished and refreshed by it). Invert the order
of these words, and you behold how light beams forth in our
text ; embodying all the purity of truth, the innocence of
righteousness, and the beneficence of active goodness.]
But, to understand practical Christianity aright,
we must,,
II. Trace it to its source-
It springs not from nature's stock : the natural
man cannot attain unto it. It is " the fruit of the
Spirit," even of that very Spirit who raised up our
Lord Jesus Christ himself from the deadf.
1. It is the Spirit who alone infuses life into us —
[We are by nature " dead in trespasses and sins :" and
it is the Spirit who quickens us, that we may live unto our
c 1 Cor. vi. 7, 8. d Eph. vi. 14.
e John i. 47. f Eph. i. 19, 20.
VOL. XV11. C C
386 EPHESIANS, V. 9. [2117.
Godg. True indeed, having been " baptized into Christ," we
are become, by profession, branches of the living vine. But
then we are only as dead and withered branches, that can pro
duce no fruit ; and will shortly be broken off, and cast into the
fire11. It is the Spirit alone who engrafts us into Christ, as
living branches; and causes us to receive from Christ that
divine energy, whereby we are enabled to bring forth fruit to
his glory. " Christ came that we might have life, and might
have it more abundantly1:" but it is by the operation of his
Spirit that we receive it ; and by the mighty working of that
Spirit in our souls that we display its energies k.]
2. It is the Spirit who suggests to our minds those
motives which alone can stimulate us to exertion — •
[He " reveals the Lord Jesus Christ in our hearts1." "He
glorifies Christ within us ; taking of the things that are his,
and shewing them unto usm." " He sheds abroad in our
hearts that love of Christ11," which alone can constrain us to
devote ourselves unreservedly to him0. Till we receive this
impulse, we are satisfied with formal services, and a partial
obedience : but, when we are enabled thus " to comprehend
somewhat of the unbounded love of Christ, we can rest in
nothing, till we are filled with all the fulness of Godp."]
3. It is the Spirit who assists us in all our endea
vours—
[Whatever we may have attained, we still have no suffi
ciency in ourselves. We shall indeed put our hands to the
work: but we shall accomplish nothing, till the Holy Spirit
" strengthens us with might in our inward manq ;" and, taking
hold, as it were, of one end of our burthen, to bear it with us,
"helpeth our infirmities," and lends us his own effectual aidr.
Hence these graces are properly called " the fruit of the
Spirit ;" since they cannot be produced without him, and are
invariably the result of his agency in our souls. It is he who,
as our Church well expresses it, " worketh in us, that we may
have a good will ; and worketh with us when we have that
good will8."]
Yet, as it must be confessed that there is a sem
blance of this holiness found in those who have not
the Holy Spirit, it will be proper to,
III. Distinguish it from all counterfeits—
K Eph. ii. 1. h John xv. 2, 6. ' John x. 10.
k Col. i. 29. i Gal. i. 15, 16. ™ John xvi. 14.
11 Rom. v. 5. ° 2 Cor. v. 14. P Eph. iii. IS, 19.
<] Col. i. 11. r Rom. viii. 26. s Tenth Article.
PRACTICAL CHRISTIANITY. o87
It must be confessed, that in many natural men
there are found virtues very nearly resembling the
graces before spoken of. There is in many a very
diffusive benevolence, a strict regard to equity, and a
high sense of integrity : and you will reasonably ask,
How are these to be distinguished from those things
which we have described as " the fruit of the Spirit ?"
I answer : To us, who can only see the outward act,
it may frequently be difficult to discern the difference
between them ; but to God, who sees the heart, they
are as different from each other as light from dark
ness. For of these counterfeits I must say,
1. They proceed from man, and from man alone—
[Man needs no particular communication of the Spirit
to enable him to perform them. The light of reason points
out those virtues as commendable ; and the strength of a
man's own resolution is sufficient for the performance of
them. Hence the persons of whom we speak never pray to
God for his Spirit, nor feel any desire after supernatural aid.
But the graces mentioned in our text are " the fruits of the
Spirit ;" and never were, nor ever can be, produced, but by his
Almighty agency.]
2. They have respect to man, and to man alone —
[The worldling, however virtuous, acts not to God, nor
has any distinct desire to fulfil the will of God. He considers,
that, as a member of society, he has duties to perform ; and
therefore he performs them, as far as he sees occasion for them,
in the relation in which he stands. He has no other view of
them than what an intelligent heathen might have. But the
Christian aims at " ALL goodness, righteousness, and truth."
He views these duties in reference to the eternal, as well as
the temporal, interests of men. He views them as the Lord
Jesus Christ did ; and makes the outward discharge of them
subservient to higher and nobler ends. As a servant of the
Lord Jesus Christ, he has to advance his interests in the
salvation of men: and he will account it a small matter to
exercise kindness to men in a temporal view, if he may not
also, according to his ability, promote their spiritual and
eternal welfare.]
3. They are done for man, and for man alone—
[A worldling seeks only to please man and to establish a
good character amongst his fellow-creatures. If he attain this
object, he is satisfied. To stand high in his own esteem, and
c c2
EPHESIANS, V. 9. [2117.
in the esteem of others, is the height of his ambition. But
the Christian desires that God, and God only, may be glorified.
He seeks not applause from man : he cherishes no fond con
ceits of his own superior excellence : much less does he go
about to establish a righteousness of his own, wherein to stand
before God. Instead of admiring himself for his own attain
ments, he will trace them all to their proper source, and give
God the glory of them : yea, the more he is enabled to do for
God, the more he feels himself indebted to God. He daies
not " to sacrifice to his own net, or to burn incense to his own
drag;" but accounts himself, after all, an unprofitable servant;
and says, " Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy
name be the praise."
Now, whether we can discern the difference, or not, in
others, we may easily detect it in ourselves ; and, consequently,
may easily discern " whose we are, and whom we serve." And
I cannot but recommend it to all, to be jealous over them
selves, lest they mistake the virtues of the flesh for the graces
of the Spirit ; and lest, " having a name to live, they prove
really dead*."]
For an improvement of this subject, OBSERVE,
1. How excellent a religion is ours !
[They form a very erroneous idea of Christianity, who
view it as a system of doctrines merely, irrespective of the
effects to be produced by them. I will readily grant, that
mysteries, however grand, are of little value, if they operate no
sanctifying change within us. But let any person contemplate
the change wrought by the Spirit on the heart and life of a
believer ; let him see poor selfish creatures transformed into
the likeness of the Lord Jesus, and walking in the world as he
walked ; let him go into fhe world, the family, the closet, and
see the dispositions and habits of the true Christian ; will any
one obtain even a glance of this, and not admire the religion
from whence it flows? I charge you, brethren, rest not in
partial views of Christianity : satisfy not yourselves with look
ing at it as a system of mysterious doctrines, propounded for
speculation only. No ; view it in all its practical efficiency ;
and then you will acknowledge that it is worthy of all possible
honour, respect, and love.]
2. How easily may we ascertain our state before
God!
[We may surely, without any great difficulty, find what
our tempers and dispositions are ; and whether we are in the
daily habit of imploring help from God for the improvement
* Rev. iii. 1.
2118.] AN EXHORTATION TO CARELESS SINNERS. 389
of them. There is a great difference in the natural constitu
tions of men ; so that we cannot absolutely say, that a person,
comparatively moral, is therefore a spiritual man. This must
be learned rather from the conflicts he maintains, and the vic
tories he achieves, under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
And, at all events, we may be sure, that where there is no
delight in doing good to the souls of men ; where, in our con
duct towards others, there is any wilful deviation from the line
which we should think right to be observed towards us ; and
where there is aay want of simplicity and godly sincerity in
our motives and principles ; whatever we may imagine, we are
not Christians indeed. T pray you to take this touchstone,
whereby to try yourselves11; and beg of God also to search
and try you, that there may be nothing found at last to dis
appoint your hopes x.]
3. How delightful is the path assigned us !
[I say not that there are no seasons for humiliation : for
no doubt there are, even for the best of men. But, for the
daily course of your lives, you need only look to my text. See
the Christian in his daily walk: "goodness, righteousness,
and truth," are embodied in him ; and, like the combined action
of the solar rays, he diffuses light and happiness around him.
This is to " walk in the light, as God is in the light :" this is
to honour God : this is to adorn the Gospel : this is to fulfil
the ends for which Christ himself came into the world : this is
to possess a meetness for the heavenly inheritance. Let those
who know not what religion is, condemn it, if they will : but
sure I am, that, if viewed aright, " its ways are ways of plea
santness, and all its paths are peace."]
u 2 Cor. xiii. 5. x Ps. cxxxix. 23, 24.
MMCXVIIL
AN EXHORTATION TO CARELESS SINNERS.
Eph. v. 14. Atvalce thou that steepest, and arise from the dead,
and Christ shall give thee light.
THERE is a harmony in the Scriptures which
many overlook and destroy : detached passages are
often wrested to establish a favourite systema. But
a Calls to duty are supposed to imply the sufficiency of man to do
the will of God ; while the confessions or petitions of the saints, and
the promises of Divine aid given to them, arc brought to justify a
negligence in the use of means.
390 EPHESIANS, V. 14. [2118.
the various truths of God should be viewed as they
stand connected with each other ; there would then
be diversity indeed,, but no contrariety between themb.
This observation will throw light, as on many other
parts of Scripture, so on that before us in particular ;
in which we have,
I. A command —
The Scripture abounds with useful and instructive
metaphors. Our state is here represented under the
images of sleep and death.
Sleep implies a state of inactivity and security —
[Men are busily employed about their worldly concerns ;
but a lamentable supineness prevails with respect to spiritual
tilings. The generality do not apprehend their souls to be in
any danger : death, judgment, heaven, and hell, do not seem
worthy their notice: God's threatenings against them are
denounced without effect : they are like Jonah, sleeping in the
midst of a storm : hence they are described as "at ease from
their youth c." To the same effect is the testimony of Him who
searcheth the heart d — ]
Death includes the ideas of impotence and corrup
tion —
[An inanimate body cannot perform any of the functions
of life : it has within itself the seeds and principles of corrup
tion. The soul also, till quickened from the dead, is in a state
of impotence : it is incapable of spiritual action or discernment6 ;
its powers and faculties are altogether vitiatedf; whatever is
loathesome and offensive to God proceeds from itg. So true is
that humiliating declaration11 — !]
Yet, notwithstanding this state appears so despe
rate, we must address, to every one that is under it,
the command, " Awake," &c.
[Your inactivity and security involve you in the deepest
guilt: your corruption of heart and life provokes the majesty
of God : nor is your impotence any excuse for your disobe
dience. It is your love of sin that disables you for duty : nor
b God gives a command, Ezek. xviii. 31. David, knowing his duty,
and feeling his inability to perform it, had long before presented this
to God in the form of a petition, Ps. li. 10. And God, to encourage
such applications to him, promises to work in us that which he re
quires of us, Ezek. xxxvi. 26.
c Jer. xlviii. 11. d Ps. x. 4, 5. e John xv. 5. 1 Cor. ii. 14.
1 Rom. vii. 18. e Mark vii. 21, 22. h Job xv. 14—16.
2118.] AN EXHORTATION TO CARELESS SINNERS. 391
is God deprived of his right to command, because you have lost
your power to obey. Let every one then strive to comply with
his heavenly call. They who exert their feeble powers may
expect divine assistance1.]
To convince us that none shall fail who use the
appointed means, God enforces his command with,
II. A promise-
Sleep and death are states of intellectual darkness.
Hence light is promised to those who obey the Divine
mandate. Light in Scripture imports knowledge11,
holiness1, comfort111, and glory11; and all these bless
ings shall they receive from Christ, the fountain of
light0.
Knowledge —
[Spiritual knowledge every natural man stands in need of:
nor is it attainable by the teaching of men, or the efforts of
geniusp: we can receive it from none but Christq. Hence
Christ invites us to come to him for itr: nor shall an applica
tion to him ever fail of success8.]
Holiness —
[A despair of attaining this deters many from seeking it.
They think their inveterate habits cannot be rooted out1; but
Christ is our " sanctification" as well as our wisdom". His
very name encourages us to expect deliverance from himx, and
he will fulfil the promises which he has made to this effect5'.]
Comfort —
[A sense of guilt shall yield to holy joyz : deplored weak
ness shall be succeeded by divine energy a. Our delight in
him shall be spiritual and exaltedb : it shall far transcend all
earthly pleasures0.]
Glory —
i See Matt. xii. 10, 13. The man with the withered hand was
unable to stretch it forth ; but in attempting to obey, he was endued
with strength.
k Isai. viii. 20. ] 1 John i. 7. m Ps. xcvii. 11.
11 Col. i. 12. ° Mal.iv. 2. John i.9. P Matt. xi. 25.
q Matt. xi. 27. r Matt. xi. 29.
s Ps. xxv. 9. Prov. ii. 3 — 0. l Jer. ii. 25.
11 1 Cor. i. 30. x Matt. i. 21.
y Mic. vii. 19. Isai. i. 25. z Isai. xxix. 19. and Ixi. 3.
a Isai. xxxv. 5, C. b Isai. Ii. 11. and Iviii. 11.
c Ps, Ixxxiv. 10. and iv. C, 7.
392 EPHESIANS, V. 15, 16. [2119.
[Our Lord will not confine his blessings to this world d.
He will raise his people to thrones of glory6: he will cause
them to participate his own inheritance f: he will be the
ground and object of their joy for everg.]
APPLICATION—
[What greater encouragement can any one desire ? What
richer promises can any one conceive ? How suited are they
to our necessities ! Let every one consider the command as
addressed to himself; " Awake, thou ;" let all our powers and
faculties be called forth to action. In exerting ourselves let us
expect the promised aid. Thus shall we be eternal monu
ments of Christ's power and grace.]
d Ps. Ixxxiv. 11. e Rev. iii. 21. f Rom. viii. 17.
B Isai. Ix. 19, 20.
MMCXIX.
REDEEMING THE TIME.
Eph. v. 15, 16. See then that ye ivalk circumspectly, not as
fools, but as tvise, redeeming the time, because the days are
evil.
WHILE the Christian has so many corruptions
within, and temptations without, he needs to be con
tinually urged to vigilance and activity in the con
cerns of his soul. It was to the saints at Ephesus,
even to the most eminent amongst them, that St. Paul
addressed the exhortation before us : in which we
may notice,
I. The duty of maintaining a circumspect walk—
We are evidently referred in the text to what had
been spoken in the preceding context : from whence
we are to gather the precise ideas which the Apostle
comprehended in the terms, " Walk circumspectly."
We should walk,
]. As persons who enjoy the light—
[Those who walk in the dark, know not how to order
their steps3: but they who walk in the noon-day, can see how
and where to place their feet with accuracy and exactness13.
Now we have the light of God's word c ; and should therefore
a John xii. 35. b This is the more proper meaning of ck-pi/Sw^.
c ver. 8, 13, 14.
2119.] REDEEMING THE TIME. 393
carefully avoid setting our foot in a place where we are liable
to slip, or contract defilement.]
2. As persons that are afraid of erring —
[We are ever in danger of being led astray by the ex
ample of those around us. But we should " call no man
master ;" we should not follow St. Paul himself, any further
than he followed Christ. If any should presume to vindicate
what is contrary to the word of God, we should " take care
not to be deceived" by their specious reasonings; and instead of
being " partakers with them," we should " avoid all fellowship
with their unfruitful works ;" yea, instead of conforming to
them, we should " reprove themd."]
3. As persons that are anxious to please their God —
[Neither the opinions of others, nor selfish interests, are
to regulate our conduct. We have but one inquiry to make,
"What will please my God?" That view, that desire, that
purpose, must be the spring of our actions, whether in public
or in private e. With a view to approve ourselves to him, we
should as carefully inspect our motives and principles, our dis
positions and frames, as if we saw him immediately present,
and observed his eye fixed upon our hearts.]
From this general view of the subject, we descend
to notice,
II. An important instance, wherein, more especially,
circumspection should be mentioned—
There is nothing wherein circumspection is more
needful, than in the improvement of our time-
fit is lamentable to think how much time is lost for want
of a due solicitude to " redeem " it. Even in relation to tem
poral concerns, there are very few who are good economists of
their time. But, in reference to their eternal interests, men
let ten thousand opportunities pass them unheeded, and unim
proved. Many have passed through half their lives, and not
yet begun to seek the salvation of their souls. And of those
who have not been altogether so careless, how many are there
whose spiritual interests are at a very low ebb ! They have
not sufficiently watched the lapse. of time, or been duly im
pressed with a sense of its value : and hence, " when for the
time they ought to be qualified for teachers, they still need to
be taught the first principles of the oracles of God V]
We should therefore set ourselves instantly to
" redeem the time"-
d vcr. 6, 7, 11. e ver. 10, 17. f Heb. v. 12.
394 EPHESIANS, V. 15, 16. [2119.
[We should consider what it is that has robbed us of our
precious hours, and guard particularly against it. Has pleasure
allured us by its charms ? We should renounce its gratifica
tions, as far as they interfere with our spiritual welfare. Has
business too much occupied our time ? We should apportion
to it what is necessary in our respective situations ; but not
suffer it to supersede our religious exercises. And, if the
duties of our calling are such as to leave but a contracted
space for reading and prayer, we should be the more earnest
in consecrating the whole of the Sabbath to the service of our
God. Visiting and company are found in general to be among
the chief destroyers of our time : against these we should
resolutely set ourselves ; that, if we cannot recover what is
passed, we may at least prevent the depredations which we
are but too likely to experience in future. From sleep too we
should redeem all that has been allotted to mere indulgence,
and all that nature does not require for the renovation of her
strength. Our whole time is little enough for the concerns
of our souls ; and therefore we should suffer as little of it
as possible to run to waste, or to pass off in unproductive
channels.]
To enforce the observance of this circumspection,
the Apostle suggests,
III. Motives and inducements to maintain it —
He recommends it,
1. As a proof of wisdom—
[No greater folly can be conceived than for persons to be
regardless of their eternal interests, and to trifle away that
time which they ought to be employing in the concerns of
their souls. It is true, that a circumspect walk, and a due
improvement of time, are often called preciseness or en
thusiasm : but let those who know not the value of the soul,
deride these things: still, in the judgment of every discerning
person, to walk with the greatest possible care and exactness,
is to " walk, not as fools, but as wise :" for " the fear of the
Lord, that is wisdom ; and to depart from evil, that is under
standing C']
2. As a mean of safety—
[" The days" of the Apostles were " evil," on account of
the persecutions that raged: for every person felt that all his
comforts might be speedily withdrawn, and that he might soon
fall a sacrifice to his profession. This therefore was urged as
£ Job xxviii. 28.
2120. ] THE BELIEVER FILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST. 395
a reason for vigilance and circumspection : for if they might
so quickly be called to give up their account to God, it became
them to be ever on their guard, and ever ready. Our lot,
through the tender mercy of our God, is cast on happier days :
we are not exposed to the fury of persecutors: the utmost
that we suffer, is, for the most part, a little contempt, and the
loss of some temporal interests. Still however our " days"
may justly be called " evil," because of the general prevalence
of infidelity and profanenessh. We are as liable to be ensnared
by evil examples, PS those at Ephesus were to be turned aside
by the fear of man. " Iniquity abounds ; and therefore there
is danger lest the love of many should wax cold." If then we
would not be drawn into the vortex of corruption, we should
keep at a distance from it ; and if we would stand in the day
of trial, we should improve each passing hour in preparation
for it.]
h If there be war, famine, pestilence, or any other public calamity,
it might be mentioned here.
MMCXX.
THE BELIEVER FILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST.
Eph. v. 18 — 20. Be filled with the Spirit ; speaking to your
selves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and
making melody in your heart to the Lord ; giving thanks al
ways for all things unto God and the Father in the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ*.
THAT Christianity has raised the tone of morals
in the world, will appear from the admonitions which
the Apostles judged it necessary to give to the
Churches in their day. It would appear almost
superfluous, at this time, to expatiate upon the evil
of fornication, in a letter addressed to true believers ;
or to guard them against yielding to intoxication ;
there being, in the minds of all, a consciousness of the
inconsistency of such evils with the Christian profes
sion. But the Corinthians had, in their unconverted
a If this were the subject of a Sermon at a Feast (many Country
Feasts begin on the Sabbath), it would be proper to include in the
text the whole of the eighteenth verse ; and to prosecute, at some
length, the contrast between the employment of true Christians, and
that of nominal Christians, on such occasions.
396 EPHESIANS, V. 18—20. [2120.
state, been proverbially dissolute ; and the Ephesians,
even in their religious rites on some occasions, had
addicted themselves to intemperance : and both the
one and the other brought with them into the Church
their former sentiments and habits, against which
they needed the most explicit warnings13.
On the other hand, the standard of Christian pri
vilege and attainment is sadly lowered in the present
day ; so that an exhortation to be filled with the
Spirit, and to be living under the continual influence
of the Spirit, seems to breathe nothing but enthu
siasm. But, being well assured that Christian duties
and privileges are precisely the same now as they
were in the Apostle's days, I proceed to set before
you,
I. The exalted privilege of believers—
The Spirit of God will dwell in the heart of every
true Christian —
[As the Church at large, so every individual in it, is
" the temple of Godc," and " the habitation of God through
the Spiritd." Our blessed Lord promised to send down the
Comforter, the Holy Ghost, to abide within his people6, to
guide them into all truth f, to support them under their re
spective trials £, and to " sanctify them throughout, in body,
soul, and spirit11." We are not, indeed, to expect at this
time his miraculous operations : but his spiritual influences
are continued to his Church ; and shall be, even to the end
of the world1: and to experience them, is the undoubted
privilege of all true believers k. Indeed, without them, we
can never mortify sin1, nor ever fulfil the will of Godm : and,
if we experience them not, we are not true Christians : for it
is expressly said, " If any man have not the Spirit of Christ,
he is none of his"."]
Nor need there be any limit to our expectations of
his gracious influences-
fit is our privilege to " be filled with the Spirit," every
one of us according to our respective capacities ; and to have
b 1 Cor. vi. 13 — 18. with the words before the text.
c 1 Cor. vi. 19. d Eph. iL 22. e John xiv. 16, 17.
f Jolmxvi. 13. e Eph. iii. 16. h 1 Thess. v. 23.
1 Matt, xxviii, 20. k Acts ii. 38, 39. ] Rom. viii. 13.
m John xv. 5. n Rom. viii. 9.
2120.] THE BELIEVER FILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST. 397
all our faculties and powers subjected to his controul. By him
our understandings may be enlightened ; so that we shall view
every thing, in a measure, as God himself views it. By him,
too, our will may be regulated ; so that it shall be conformed
to the mind and will of God. By him, also, our affections
may be so inflamed, that the whole soul, as it were, shall be
melted, and cast into the very mould of the Gospel.
In relation to this matter we need fear no excess. In the
use of strong drink we may easily exceed ; and excess will lead
to the most pernicious consequences. By intoxication, we may
be unfitted for the common offices of life ; yea, and be pre
cipitated into the commission of the foulest sins. But the
more we have of the Holy Spirit, the more will sobriety and
self-government characterize our whole conduct. We need,
indeed, to guard against delusions respecting this matter : for
there are many in the world who speak of dreams, and
visions, and internal suggestions, and numberless other con
ceits, whereby they deceive both themselves and others. But
on these no confidence whatever can be placed : they are, for
the most part, the fruits of a heated imagination, and are as
likely to come from Satan as from God. I do not mean to
say that God may not reveal himself to persons in these ways ;
for what he has done in times past, he may do again : but
I say, that whatever is not founded upon the word of God,
and leads not to a holy and consistent life, is a mere delusion.
Whatever betrays men into extravagances of any kind, is not
of God: for "the spirit of the prophets is subject to the
prophets0," and it becomes you to be on your guard against
every thing which, in the mode of its access to your mind, is
suspicious, or in its operation upon your mind is disorderly.
I say again, therefore, that against delusion you must guard:
but from excess in what is really from God, you are in no
danger: for the more you are filled with the Spirit of Christ,
the more you will resemble Christ in the whole of his character
and deportment.]
Suited to this exalted privilege of believers,, will be,
II. Their delightful employment-
Here you see how they are to act,
1. In their intercourse with each other —
[In the parallel passage in the Epistle to the Colossians,
the Apostle's meaning is somewhat more clearly expressed:
" Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom ;
teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the
0 1 Cor. xiv. 32.
398 EPHESIANS, V. 18—20. [2120.
Lord P." We should have a happy and peaceful frame of
mind, whether alone or in company ; and should be expressing
our joy in songs of praise. Not that we should resemble those,
whose spirits, being raised with wine, entertain themselves,
and each other, with vocal and carnal songs: no; we should
" make melody in our hearts to the Lord" and have all our
joys an emblem, an antepast, of heaven. Such expressions of
earthly happiness we observe without any mixture of disappro
bation or surprise : they are the natural effusions of a happy
and buoyant spirit. How much more, then, should they be
put forth in spiritual exercises, to the honour of our God,
whose service is perfect freedom !]
2. In their more immediate intercourse with God —
[Every thing should be viewed by them as proceeding
from a God of love : not even chastisement itself should be
regarded as a token of his wrath, but rather as a mark of
paternal tenderness, whereby he both intimates our relation to
him, and seeks to establish and confirm it. Nothing, however
penal in its aspect, should be viewed in any other light. We
should taste his love in every thing, and " give him thanks
always for all things." And this we should do " in the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ :" for, as all God's blessings come to
us through him, so all our thanksgivings for them should
return to God through him also. It is this which makes
them acceptable to God the Father. If these were offered
in our own name, they would never enter into the ears of the
Lord of Hosts : but, being presented in the name of Jesus,
they come up with acceptance before him, and are sure to
return in blessings on our own souls q."]
ADDRESS —
1. Those who have never yet experienced these
blessings in their souls —
[By the greater part of those who call themselves Chris
tians, the whole of this subject is accounted visionary and
absurd. They have no idea of one person being filled with
the Spirit any more than others : and all the joyous frames
arising from his presence in the soul, they deem the very
essence of enthusiasm. But what, then, can be meant by all
those directions which are given us, to " live in the Spirit,
and walk in the Spirit," and " pray in the Spirit," and to
" bring forth the fruits of the Spirit?" And why has our
blessed Lord so encouraged us to pray for the gift of his
Spirit1, if no such communication is to be expected by us?
P Col. iii. 16. i Heb. xiii. 15. 1 Pet. ii. 5.
* Lukexi. 11—13.
2121 J THE MARRIAGE UNION. 399
Do not, I beseech you, brethren, take your own experience as
the standard of truth, or imagine that no one else can possess
what you have never received : but look to God for the accom
plishment of his gracious promises to your souls s ; and never
rest, till you have obtained those supplies of his Spirit, whereby
alone you can attain the Christian character, or be ever fitted
for the realms of bliss V]
2. Those who profess to live in the enjoyment of
them—
[Regard not the contempt with which ungodly men may
treat you : but let the Apostle's direction be followed by
you daily, with increasing earnestness. Be careful, however,
not to give any just occasion for reproach. Let there be
nothing extravagant, either in your profession or your practice.
Religion, if it have its just influence upon your soul, will
render you patterns of sobriety, of prudence, and of true
wisdom : it will cause you to " walk wisely before God, in a
perfect way." At the same time, it will bring into your soul
a peace that passeth all understanding and a joy that is un
speakable and glorified. There will be, indeed, occasional
changes in your frame, even as there are in the natural world :
there will be times for the tears of penitential sorrow to flow
down, as well as for the radiance of the noon-day sun. But
the more you live on Tabor, the more will you behold the
Saviour's glory : and the more you survey the promised land
from Pisgah's top, the more will you be fitted for the everlast
ing enjoyment of it.]
8 Prov. i. 22, 23. * John xvi. 7—11.
MMCXXI.
THE MARRIAGE UNION.
Eph. v. 21 — 33. Submitting yourselves one to another in the
fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own hus
bands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the
ivife, even as Christ is the head of the Church : and he is the
saviour of the body. Therefore as the Church is subject unto
Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every
thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved
the Church, and gave himself for it ; that he might sanctify
and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he
might present it to himself a glorious Church, not having spot,
or wrinkle, or any such thing ; but that it sliould be holy and
without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their
own bodies. lie that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no
400 EPHESIANS, V. 21—33. [2121.
man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisJi,-
eth it, even as the Lord the Church: for we are members of
his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall
a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto
his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great
mystery : but I speak concerning Christ and the Church.
Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his tvife
even as himself ; and the wife see that she reverence her
husband.
AMONGST those who are attached to the pecu
liarities of the Gospel, it is often a subject of regret,
that the great mass of nominal Christians are not ac
quainted with its principles. But I am inclined to
think, that there is nearly the same occasion for
regret, that many who profess, and actually have
attained, somewhat of vital godliness, are but very
imperfectly instructed in its duties. The sublimer
parts of morality are really almost as little known as
the deeper mysteries of our holy religion. Take, for
instance, the conduct enjoined in the fourteenth chap
ter of the Epistle to the Romans : I doubt whether
there be many who would have written such a piece
of casuistry : and few, I fear, would have approved
of it when written, if it had not come forth with the
authority of a divine revelation. What a paradox
would it appear to the generality, if I were to tell
them, that the very same act, under different circum
stances, might be an acceptable service and a damn
ing sin ; and the whole difference consisting in its
being done in the presence of one who approved of
it. or of one who doubted its lawfulness ! Yet such
is the Apostle's determination respecting the practice
of things indifferent in themselves; and which become
bounden duties, or fatal sins, according to the views
which they have who do them. 1 could, if there
were time, illustrate the sublimity of the Christian
code, in reference to all our most acknowledged du
ties : but I shall confine myself to the subject more
appropriate to the present occasion3. St. Paul, in
this passage, places the duties of man and wife in a
a An extemporaneous Address at the Marriage of a Friend.
2121.] THE MARRIAGE UNION. 401
light peculiarly simple and beautiful. He compre
hends both under one single term : " Wives, submit :
Husbands, love." Thus far we are prepared to ap
prove of his requisitions ; the duties respectively
belonging to the two parties being generally acknow
ledged. But, if I should proceed to place these
requisitions in their true light, and insist upon them
in their full extent, I am not sure that I should not
excite, amongst the less-instructed part of us at least,
a measure of surprise. Yet I am not afraid, but that,
if in the former part of my observations I should ap
pear to bear somewhat hard upon the female sex, I
shall, before I close the subject, find a perfect acqui
escence on their part, when they shall see what pro
vision God has made for their happiness in wedded
life. But I shall be careful to speak nothing myself:
I shall only bring before you what the Apostle has
spoken : and if his demands appear to be too severe,
I shall shelter myself under his wing ; being well as
sured that you will all yield to his authority, without
gainsaying.
You must have observed, that in all the passages
of Scripture where the relative duties are insisted on,
those of the inferior are always stated first. Nor is
this without reason : for they are all enjoined by
God : and, however difficult they may appear, espe
cially where the superior neglects to perform the
duties assigned to him, they must all be observed
from a regard to the authority of that God who has
imposed them ; nor must any one imagine, that his
duties are a whit the less incumbent on him because
the superior neglects his. Power, in whomsoever it
is vested, is God's : and the person bearing it, so far
as it is truly committed to him, is God's representative
and vicegerent. And I conceive, that this is the reason
of that order, which, from being uniformly observed
in the Scriptures, we may well suppose to have been
wittingly and wisely fixed.
The submission of the wife to her husband must
be entire, cheerful, uniform, " as unto the Lord,"
because the husband is as truly the head of the wife,
VOL. XVII. D D
402 EPHESIANS, V. 21—33. [2121.
as Christ is the Head of the Church. And I hope
I shall not appear to speak too strongly, if I say, that
there is no other limit to her submission to her earthly
lord, than to her heavenly ; unless he require any
thing that is contrary to the will of God : for then
she must yield to that authority which is paramount,
and obey God rather than man. I certainly feel, that,
in speaking thus, I may appear to require too much
of the wife, and to place her almost on the footing of
a slave. But you yourselves shall judge. Tell me
what is the meaning of those words, " As the Church
is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their
own husbands, in every thing?" I confess to you
that this appears somewhat harsh ; and I should not
have dared to utter it myself. But I am not at
liberty to soften it, or to introduce into God's word
any qualifying expressions, to lower the standard he
has given us. You yourselves see the comparison
which is instituted by God himself, and the extent
of the requisition that is made. Had the comparison
been omitted, we might possibly have thought that
the expression, " every thing" was, what is confessedly
common in the Scriptures, an universal term put for
a general; and that, consequently, it did admit of
some modifications and exceptions. But who will so
construe the obedience which the Church owes to
Christ ? If, then, we cannot so limit the requisition
in the one case, neither can we in the other : and,
consequently, in our statement of the duties of a wife,
we must take the ground which is laid in Scripture,
and set forth the will of God as it is plainly declared
in the inspired volume.
But, though so much is required of the wife, that I
could not have ventured to state it in any terms but
those of Scripture itself, I must candidly acknowledge
that I account it a rich mercy to the wife that her
duty is thus highly stated and plainly declared. For
it must of necessity happen, in a married state, that
some differences of opinion should occasionally arise,
and a contrariety of inclination also occur, in refer
ence to some points : and if God had not determined
2121.1 THE MARRIAGE UNION. 403
beforehand whose judgment should preponderate,
and whose will should stand,, there might be collisions,
which might painfully interrupt domestic harmony.
But God, having required unqualified submission on
the part of the wife, has cut off all occasion for dis
cord ; I may almost say, all possibility of it, where
the wife understands her duty, and is ready to perform
it. Of course, a modest statement, both of her sen
timents and wishes, may be given : but where her
husband cannot by these means be persuaded, she
has no alternative left : obedience is the course which
God has ordained for her ; and she should pay it
cheerfully, " as unto the Lord."
If this appear, as I fear it will, " an hard saying,"
I am happy to say, that that impression will soon be
removed, by stating, in the next place, the duties of
the husband. " Husbands, love your wives." And
what difficulty is there in obeying the commands of
love, or in submitting to its dictates ?
But here we observe, in relation to him, the coun
terpart of the comparison which has been before made
in relation to the wife. Is the wife to submit to her
husband as unreservedly as the Church submits to
Christ ? Know ye, that the husband is to love his
wife as truly and tenderly, yea, and, as far as it is
possible, to the very same extent too, " as Christ has
loved the Church." Let us contemplate this a little ;
and we shall subscribe heartily to all that has been
before spoken. Consider how the Lord Jesus Christ
has loved the Church. She was altogether alienated
from him, and incapable of adding to his happiness ;
yet did he disrobe himself of all the glory and bless
edness of heaven, yea, and assume our nature, and
" bear our sins in his own body on the tree," on pur
pose to bring his Church into a full and everlasting
participation of his kingdom and glory. And now
that he has done this, he imposes no one command
on her but what conduces to her happiness : and if in
any thing he thwart her inclinations, he does it for
her good ; consulting, in every thing, not his own
sovereign will, but her present and eternal welfare.
D D 2
404 EPHESIANS, V. 21—33. [2121.
Now, let us suppose a husband to act on this prin
ciple : let us suppose him ready to exercise self-
denial, to the utmost possible extent, for the good of
his wife : let us suppose him so to pant after her
happiness, as to be willing to do any thing, or suffer
any thing, in order to promote it : let us suppose him
never to propose any thing to her, but for her good ;
and never, in any instance, to thwart her, but with a
view to her truest happiness : methinks she would
never complain of the extent of her duty to him ; it
would be all easy, all delightful. Let it be remem
bered, then, that this is the husband's duty to his
wife. But as, in the former case, I confined myself
to the very words of Scripture, so will I do in this ;
lest I appear to over-state the duty on the husband's
part. " Husbands, love your wives ; even as Christ
also loved the Church, and gave himself for it, that he
might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of
water by the word, that he might present it to himself
a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any
such thing, but that it should be holy, and without
blemish." Let there be such tender, affectionate,
self-denying exertions on the husband's part, to pro
mote the welfare and happiness of his wife ; and what
returns will not she readily make to him ? Verily,
submission to his will, will be not so much her duty
as her delight.
As for the other comparison contained in this pas
sage, namely, of the man loving his wife as his own
flesh, I forbear to make any observations upon it,
wishing to detain you as short a time as possible.
There is one thing only that I will add, which will
be applicable to us all. Hitherto I have dwelt chiefly
on those points which the occasion has suggested :
but let us not forget, that the whole Church of Christ
is his bride ; and that the duty of a wife towards her
husband, as set forth in this passage, may serve to
shew us, in some measure, our duty towards our
heavenly Lord. Does a wife leave her father and
mother, and cleave to her husband ? so must we
forsake all that is dear to us in this world, to cleave
2122.] BENEFITS OF CHRIST'S DEATH. 405
unto Christ : for he has expressly warned us, that
" if, in coming to him, we forsake not all that we
have, we cannot be his disciples." We must also fulfil
his will in every thing, without hesitation and with
out reserve. Obedience to him must be our delight :
and if, for a moment, a wish arise in our minds that
is contrary to his will, we must sacrifice it instantly ;
and say, " Not my will, but thine be done." Thus,
whilst " the mystery concerning Christ and his
Church " is mystically fulfilled in our dear friends who
are about to be joined together in the bonds of ma
trimony, it will be literally and spiritually fulfilled
in us.
MMCXXII.
THE PERFECTING OF THE CHURCH IS THE END OF ALL
THAT CHRIST HAS DONE FOR IT.
Eph. v. 25 — 27. Christ loved the Church, and gave himself for
it ; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing
of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a
glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such
thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
THE morality of the Gospel, though not more
extensive than that of the law, is yet more clearly
revealed, and exhibited in a more endearing light.
Its obligations are not set forth amidst denunciations
of wrath, as those of the law were upon Mount Sinai ;
but models of perfection are set before us, and we
are invited by considerations of love and gratitude to
make them the objects of our imitation. Not only
our duty to God, but even our relative duties are set
before us in this manner. St. Paul, instructing wives
in their duty to their husbands, tells them, that the
Church's obedience to Christ is the fittest pattern of
their obedience to them. Then instructing husbands
how to conduct themselves toward their wives, he
proposes to them Christ's love to his Church as the
model for their love to their wives. It is in this
connexion that the words of our text are introduced.
406 EPHESIANS, V. 25—27. [2122.
But the Apostle can never touch upon so glorious a
topic as the love of Christ, without expatiating upon
it, and being transported, as it were, to a forgetfulness
of his proper argument. The view which he here
gives us of it, is deserving of peculiar attention. It
will lead us to consider,
I. The demonstrations which Christ has given us of
his love —
He loved his Church from before the foundation
of the world : and he has displayed his love to it in
a manner that must fill both men and angels with
everlasting astonishment. Every member of it was
dearer to him than his own happiness ; more desirable
to him, if we may so speak, than his own glory. He
loved us to such a degree, that for our sakes he gave
up the happiness which he enjoyed in his Father's
bosom, and the glory which he possessed upon his
Father's throne : he gave himself for us, that he
might be,
1. A surety for our persons —
[The debt which we owed to divine justice could never
be discharged by mortal man : nor was there any superior being
able or willing to take upon himself our awful responsibility.
Our case was desperate, as much so as that of the fallen angels.
But the Son of God, of his own infinitely rich grace and
mercy, was pleased to undertake for usa. What Paul said to
Philemon respecting Onesimus, he said to his Father respect
ing us; " What do they owe thee? put it all to my account:
I will repay thee. Whatever shall be necessary to ransom
them from the hands of incensed justice, let it be exacted of
me : I will be answerable for it ; I will pay it, to the uttermost
farthing V]
2. A sacrifice for our sins-
fit was not by corruptible things, as silver and gold, that
we could be redeemed. Satisfaction must be made for all our
violations of God's holy law. Death was the desert of man ;
and death must be endured by the Son of God himself, if he
should put himself in the place of sinful man. This was fully
known to our adorable Saviour ; and yet he would not shrink
from the conditions. He had set his heart upon his chosen
* 1 Tim. ii, 6. b Philemon, ver. 18, 19.
2122.] BENEFITS OF CHRIST'S DEATH. 407
people, and he was prepared to pay the price, even though it
were his own life. Accordingly he took our nature for the
express purpose of offering it up a sacrifice for sin. In that
nature he made a full atonement for all our transgressions,
and satisfied the utmost demands of law and justice. In
short, he so gave himself to be an offering and sacrifice to
God, that God smelled a sweet savour, and became instantly
reconciled to his offending creatures0.
What manner of love was this! Who can ever explore
" its heights and depths, its length and breadth ? " Well may
" God commend his love to us" by this particular instance d;
for it is, and ever must be, without a parallel: it as far
exceeds our conceptions as it does our deserts.]
To assign any adequate reasons for such love is
impossible : but the riches of it will appear in a
striking point of view, if we consider,
II. The ends for which it has been so demonstrated —
The design of Jesus in the whole of his mediatory
work has been, to bring back our fallen race to the
enjoyment of all that they had lost by sin. He gave
himself for us, that we might enjoy,
1. A restoration to his image —
[It was not merely a salvation from misery that Christ
came to impart, but a salvation from sin, which is the cause of
misery. He came to set us apart for God as a holy and
peculiar people ; and to cleanse us not only in " the laver of
regeneration in baptism, but by the renewing of the Holy
Ghost." The washing of water in baptism was only the
external sign of that spiritual grace which it is the delight of
his soul to bestow. " He will sprinkle clean water upon us,
and cleanse us from all our filthiness, and from all our idols6."
Without this spiritual renovation, all his other mercies would
be in vain. Man could not be happy, if he were not first
made holy.
The instrument by which this grace is conveyed to the soul,
is the word of God. The word, both written and preached, is
that whereby we are begotten of him f; by which also, as new
born babes, we are nourished g; and by which the whole work
of sanctification is carried onh. The Holy Spirit indeed is
the agent, who renders the word effectual : but the Gospel is
" the rod of his strength," and it is by that he renovates and
saves the world.]
c Rom. v. 8. d ver. 2. e Ezek. xxxvi. 25, 26.
f Jam. i. 18. s I Pet, ii. 2. h John xv. 3.
408 EPHESIANS, V. 25—27. [2122.
2. A participation of his glory —
[When sinners are in a measure cleansed with the washing
of water by the word, the ministers who have been instru
mental to that change, " espouse them to one husband, and
present them as a chaste virgin to Christ1." And while the
work of sanctification is advancing in them, they are like those
virgins who were destined for the embrace of eastern monarchs,
who were purified during several months for that end, till they
were judged meet for the dignity to which they were to be
exalted k. The time for their complete honour and felicity is
the day of judgment: when the Bridegroom himself shall come
to take them home to himself, and to fix them in the mansions
prepared for them. Then they will be " without spot or
wrinkle ; they will be perfectly holy and without blemish."
They will be " presented faultless before the presence of his
glory with exceeding joy1." What " a glorious Church" will
they then be! Here their glory is obscured by spots and
blemishes : but there they will riot have " any such thing :"
they will be " pure as God is pure," and " perfect as God is
perfect."
If any thing can account for the stupendous efforts of
Christ's love, it must be this. This is an end worthy of the
Supreme Being. This will be such a display of his power
and grace as will for ever fill all heaven with wonder and
admiration.]
Suffer ye now " a word of EXHORTATION/' grounded
on the foregoing subject—
1. Desire holiness—
[This is what the Lord Jesus Christ has desired for you.
To obtain this for you, he divested himself of all his glory, and
endured the accursed death of the cross. He desired this for
you, because it was the only medium through which you could
arrive at happiness, and because it could not fail of rendering
you completely happy. Ah ! do not despise it. Do not turn
away from it, as inimical to your welfare. Do not consider it
as a mere system of restraints, a burthen that is intolerable.
It is in truth the perfection of your nature, and the completest
liberty : it is a liberty from the thraldom of corruption, and
from the tyranny of Satan. Desire it therefore, even as Christ
has desired it for you ; and never think any sacrifice too great
for the attainment of it.]
2. Use the means of attaining it —
4 2 Cor. xi. 2. Ps. xlv. 13, 14. k Esth. ii. 12.
1 Jude, ver. 24.
2123.] UNION WITH CHRIST. 409
[The word is the means which God in every age has made
use of for the recovery of fallen man. By that he converted
thousands in the primitive ages of the Church : and by that
he is still carrying on his work in the souls of men. Let the
Scriptures then be searched by you, not to gratify curiosity
merely, or to exercise a critical acumen, but to obtain the
knowledge of God's will, and an increasing conformity to his
image. Read the sacred volume as a book that is to make
you holy. When you hear the word preached to you, hear it
with a desire to get a deeper discovery of your sins, and a
more perfect victory over them. Whether you read, or hear,
or meditate, or pray, let it be with an immediate view to grow
in holiness and a meetness for glory.]
3. Look forward to the perfection of holiness as the
consummation and completion of all your wishes—
[Higher than this you cannot look ; and lower you ought
not. This was the ultimate design of all that Christ under
took for you, and of all that he did and suffered for you. Do
but consider how happy you will be when not a spot or blemish
can be found in you, even by God himself; when you shall be
perfectly like your God ; and when you shall enjoy the most
intimate and endearing fellowship with your Lord, without
any alloy, or intermission, or end. Do not rest in any thing
short of this. Suffer not any of the pleasures of time and
sense to rob you of it. Surely the very prospect of such
glory is enough to kindle in your souls the devoutest rapture,
and to stimulate you to incessant activity in your Christian
course. Yield yourselves now unfeignedly to the Lordm, and
he will, in the last day, present you to himself, and acknow
ledge you as his for evermore.]
m Rom. xii. 1.
MMCXXIII.
UNION WITH CHRIST.
Eph. v. 30. We are members of his body, of his flesh, and of
his bones.
THAT the eternal Son of God assumed our na
ture, and lived and died for the salvation of men,, is
doubtless the fundamental truth on which we are to
build our hopes. But we shall have a very partial
view of that truth, if we consider it merely in refer
ence to our acceptance with God. The Apostles
410 EPHESIANS, V. 30. [2123.
state it as the strongest of all motives to obedience,
and as the pattern which, as far as circumstances
will admit of it, we are bound to imitate. To go no
further than the context ; St. Paul is stating the duties
of husbands and wives : and, having observed that
wives are to be as obedient to their husbands, in all
lawful things, as the Church is to Christ, he shews,
that husbands are not, however, at liberty to act the
tyrant; but that they should at all times be influenced
by love, and consult the good and happiness of their
wives, as much as Christ himself does of the Church,
to whom he stands in a similar relation a.
The words before us are, in this view, deserving
of the deepest attention ; since they not only unfold
a most mysterious and important truth, but tend in
the highest degree to meliorate our tempers, and to
diffuse universal happiness. Let us consider then,
I. The union which subsists between Christ and his
Church-
There is a personal union which Christ has with
our nature, by means of his incarnation b, and which
was necessary for the executing of the great work
which he had undertaken0. But in this the whole
human race participate, without any distinction. The
union which Christ has with the Church is distinct
from that, and is,
1. Legal—
[There is, among men, an union between a debtor and his
surety ; insomuch that, if a debt be not discharged, the surety
is as much answerable for it as if he had contracted it himself:
and if, on the contrary, it be discharged by the surety, the
creditor has no further claim on him that contracted it. Thus
it is with respect to Christ and his Church. He is the surety
of the new covenant3: having undertaken for us, he was
charged with our debt ; " it was exacted of him, and he was
made answerable6." Having paid the debt, his payment is put
to our account; " By his obedience we are made righteous f."
In a word, " He who knew no sin, was made sin for us, that
a ver. 22—30. b John i. 14. c Heb. ii. II, 14, 16.
d Heb. vii. 22. e Isai. liii. 7. Bishop Lowth's version.
f Rom. v. 19.
2123.] UNION WITH CHRIST. 411
we (who had no righteousness) might be made the righteous
ness of God in him&."]
2. Spiritual —
[Very much is spoken in Scripture respecting the spiritual
union which subsists between Christ and his people. To mark
that they stand by him alone, it is compared to a foundation
and the superstructure11. To shew that he is the one source of
vital influence to them all, it is illustrated by a root and the
branches1. To intimate that one Spirit pervades both him
and themk, it is set forth under the image of a body ; he being
the Head, and they the members1. To convey some idea of
the tender endearments with which it is accompanied, it is
shadowed forth by a marriage union. This is the representa
tion given in the text. He is our husband"1 ; and we are his
bride11 : and, as Adam said of Eve when she was brought to
him, " She is flesh of my flesh, and bone of my bones °," so
may we say respecting the Lord Jesus Christ, " We are mem
bers of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones."
Whatever beauty there is in all the other figures, methinks
there is a peculiar propriety in that which is now under our
consideration, because it marks that volition, yea, and those
means also, whereby the union is effected. The Lord Jesus
Christ displays before our eyes his excellency and glory, his
suitableness and sufficiency ; and, by the constraining influence
of his love, inclines us to leave all that has hitherto been
esteemed by us, in order to connect ourselves with him, and
enjoy his presence1?. We accept that gracious proposal,
" Thou shalt not be for another man ; so will I also be for
theeq:" and being thus engaged by a solemn covenant, we
surrender up ourselves to him, whether it be for better or for
worse in this world, determining through grace to " be faithful
unto him, even until death."]
We prosecute the idea of a marriage union no fur
ther at present, because it will be more fully opened,
while we shew,
II. The blessings resulting from it-
It is needless to expatiate upon the comforts and
benefits of that relation among men : but we cannot
be too minute in specifying the blessings that result
from an union with Christ. The chief of them will
come under our review, while we observe, that,
g 2 Cor. v. 21. h Eph. ii. 20—22. i John xv. 5.
k 1 Cor. vi. 17. ] Eph. iv. 15, 16. m Isai. liv. 5.
n Rev. xxi. 9. ° Gen. ii. 23.
P Ps. xlv. 10, 11. Markx. 29, 30. q Hos. iii. 3.
U2 EPHESIANS, V. 30. [2123.
1. He has communion with us in all our trials—
[One who understands the duties of a husband, and
labours faithfully to discharge them, is ever ready to sympa
thize with his partner in her afflictions of whatever kind, and
solicitous to the utmost to relieve them. What is done to
her, whether it be good or evil, he considers it as done to him
self. Thus it is with our blessed Lord. Are we tempted ?
a consciousness of his relation to us calls forth his sympathy,
and engages his utmost exertions on our behalf1 Are
we persecuted ? He feels in his inmost soul the dagger that
pierces us s Do we labour under distresses of any
kind ? " In all our afflictions he is afflicted * ;" and every
attempt made to mitigate our trouble, he accepts, as if he him
self were personally relieved" ]
2. We have communion with him in all his bene
fits—
[A woman, from whatever rank she be taken, is no sooner
united in the marriage-bond, than she is exalted to a partici
pation of all the honours and possessions of her husband.
Thus it is with the Church when united unto Christ. Is he
possessed of a perfect righteousness, commensurate with the
highest demands of law and justice? They who are joined to
him by faith, are partakers of it all, and may boldly call him,
" The Lord our Righteousness x." However sinful they may
have been in former times, " in him shall they be justified,
and in him may they glory y" Has he within himself
an inexhaustible fountain of grace2 ? They may receive it out
of his fulness a : and having had a measure of it communicated
to them, they may go to him for moreb : yea, whatever sup
plies they may need, they shall have sufficient for them c ;
sufficient to mortify every sind, to fulfil every duty6, to
triumph over every enemy f Is he enthroned on high,
the heir and Lord of all thingsg? Let not his people think
that even these things are too great for them : for they shall
have a throne like unto his throne h, a kingdom like unto his
kingdom1, a glory like unto his glory k ]
ADDRESS —
1. Those who have reason to believe that they are
"married to Christ1"—
r Heb. ii. 17, 18. and iv. 15. s Zech. ii. 8. Actsix. 4.
1 Isai. Ixiii. 9. u Matt. xxv. 35 — 40. x Jer. xxiii. 6.
y Isai. xlv. 24, 25. z Col. i. 19. a John i. 16.
b Jam. iv. 6, c 2 Cor. xii. 9. d Rom. vi. 14.
e Phil. iv. 13. f Rom. viii. 37. * Heb. i. 2.
h Rev. in. 21. * Luke xxii. 29. k John xvii. 22.
1 Jer. iii. 14. Isai. Ixii. 5.
2123. J UNION WITH CHRIST. 413
[If we congratulate our friends when they are settled in
life with a fair prospect of happiness, shall we not much more
congratulate you; you, who by your connexion with Christ
are become children of the living Godm? What earthly ad
vancement can be compared with this? Who among the
children of men is so wise to discern, so tender to regard, so
able to relieve, your every want ? We hope that you know your
union with him. It is certainly your privilege to know it, and
to rejoice in itn. " Rejoice then in the Lord alway, and again
I say, Rejoice0" — But together with your privileges,
remember also the duties which this high relation bringeth
with it. Would you be unfaithful to him, or grieve him in
anything? God forbid. Remember the fervent attachment?,
the humble reverenceq, the unreserved submission1, which a
dutiful wife feels towards her husband : and let these feelings
be transferred in the highest possible degree to your august
"Head3," and be exercised towards him without any inter
mission or alloy *. ]
2. Those who have no evidence that such an union
has been formed —
[They who have felt no need of an union with Christ, will
be ready to say, like Ezekiel's hearers, " Ah ! Lord God, doth
he not speak parables11?" But indeed "we speak forth the
words of truth and sobernessx." You hope to bring forth fruit
to God in some other way than by an union with Christ : but
you may as well expect a branch to be fruitful, when sepa
rated from the viney. The image in the text is applied by St.
Paul in reference to this very thing : he tells us, that " we
must be married unto Christ, that we may bring forth fruit
unto Godz." Moreover, if you be not united to Christ in this
world, you will in vain hope for an union with him in the world
to come. This is the time wherein you are to be betrothed to
him. Seek then to know him : seek to become an object of
his regard : seek to be united to him as intimately as he is to
his Heavenly Father a. Be not contented with seeking, but
strive ; strive to obtain an interest in his favour ; nor cease
from your labour till you can say, " My beloved is mine, and
m John i. 12. n John xiv. 20. ° Phil. iv. 4.
P Tit. ii. 4. q Eph. v. 33.
r Eph. v. 22, 24. 1 Pet. iii. 1, 5, 6. a Eph. v. 23. 1 Cor. xi.3.
1 If this were preached on the occasion of a Marriage, it would
be proper to shew to the parties present, that their cheerful perform
ance of their relative duties is indispensable, as an evidence of their
union to Christ.
u Ezek. xx. 49. x Acts xxvi. 25. y John xv. 4, 5.
'- Rom. vii. 4. a John xvii. 21. and vi. 56, 57.
414 EPHESIANS, V. 32. [2124.
I am hisb." Then shall you have the most delightful fellow
ship with himc: you shall have such manifestations of his
regard, as the world can neither know nor receive d : and, when
all earthly connexions shall cease, your happiness shall be
consummated in the everlasting fruition of his love6.]
b Cant. ii. 16. c 1 John i. 3.
d John xiv. 21, 22. ib. ver. 17. e 1 Thess. iv. 17.
MMCXXIV.
UNION BETWEEN CHRIST AND HIS PEOPLE.
Eph. v. 32. This is a great mystery : but I speak concerning
Christ and the Church.
CHRISTIANITY is a mystery altogether— a great
mystery : as it is written, " Great is the mystery of
godliness : God was manifest in the flesh, justified in
the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles,
believed on in the world, received up into glory a."
Every part of it is mysterious : its plan, as concerted
between the Father and the Sonb ; its propagation, so
as to incorporate in one body the whole world both
of Jews and Gentiles0 ; the representations given
of it in emblematic types from the foundation of the
world. Amongst these, the marriage of our first
parents is worthy of particular attention. It is that
to which the Apostle especially refers in the passage
before us. The very words spoken by Adam on that
occasion are quoted by himd. They appear, indeed,
at first sight, to be spoken only in reference to mar
riage generally : but he declares, and pronounces it
" a great mystery," that " he spake concerning Christ
and the Church."
Here it is evident that there was one thing spoken,
and another intended ; and, consequently, if we would
fully enter into the Apostle's mind, we must consider,
I. The subject ostensibly proposed—
He is speaking of the duties which men owe to
each other, in the relation of husband and wife,
a 1 Tim. iii. 16. b Col. ii. 2. c Rom. xi. 25. Eph. i. 9, 10.
d Gen. ii. 23, 24. with ver. 30, 31.
2124.1 UNION BETWEEN CHRIST AND HIS PEOPLE. 415
parents and children, masters and servants. That
of husband and wife, as existing before all others, is
introduced first.
He specifies their duties—
[He specifies hers to him, and his to her. Her duty to
him is comprised in reverence and subjection ; in reverence to
him as her head ; in subjection to him as her lord. His duty
to her comprehends unrivalled affection, and unbounded care.
These were their respective duties, whilst yet they remained
in innocence : for they arose out of the manner in which their
union was formed. The man was first formed, the lord and
governor of the whole earth. The woman was made after
wards, and taken out of the side of man as a part of his sub
stance ; and therefore was properly subject to him, She, too,
was made for man, and not man for her: and, consequently,
this put her still further under his controul. These duties,
however, were still further extended after man had fallen : for
the woman, having been first in the transgression, was doomed
to weaknesses and pains which she would never otherwise
have experienced, and was still more entirely subjected to her
husband's rule6. But, in proportion as she needed his pro
tection, his obligation to extend it to her was increased,
together with all its attendant sympathy and assiduities.]
He at the same time illustrates them by a compa
rison —
[The Apostle institutes a comparison between the mar
riage union and that which subsists between Christ and his
Church ; and again and again reverts to it, in order to mark
the correspondence between them in every particular. In
speaking of the wife's duties to her husband, he says, " Wives,
submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord :
for the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the
Head of the Church ; and he is the Saviour of the body.
Therefore, as the Church is subject unto Christ, so let the
wives be to their own husbands in every thing f." Now, here
the Apostle states, in the clearest and fullest manner, both the
extent of her duties and the ground of them. All the sub
jection which the Church owes to Christ, she owes to her
husband ; subordinate only to the paramount obligations
which she owes to Christ himself : and she owes them to him
for the very same reason ; namely, because her husband
is her head and protector, just as the Lord Jesus Christ is the
Head and Saviour of his whole mystical body, the Church.
Next, in speaking of the husband's duty to his wife, he
e Gen. iii. 16. with 1 Tim. ii. 11 — 14. f ver. 22 — 24.
416 EPHESIANS, V. 32. [2124.
draws a similar comparison between Christ's love and tender
ness to his Church, and that which a man should exercise
towards his wife. The object he should have in view also, in all
the controul which he exercises over her, should be precisely
such as Christ has manifested towards his Church ; namely,
the advancement of her real welfare. To a similar extent, also,
should he carry this into effect; willingly denying himself, and
submitting gladly to the greatest privations, if only he may
attain his end, and promote her best interests. Hear the
Apostle's own words ; and mark especially how minutely the
Apostle enters into the objects which Christ has accomplished
in behalf of his Church, in order the more clearly to shew
what the husband should aim at in reference to his wife :
" Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the
Church, and gave himself for it ; that he might sanctify and
cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might
present it to himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or
wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and
without blemish^." Then, going on with a special reference to
Eve, who was a part of A 'dam's own body, he adds, " So ought
men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth
his wife, loveth himself: for no man ever yet hated his own
flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the
Church : for we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of
his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and
mother, and shall be joined unto his wife : and they two shall
be one flesh h." All this shews us with what intensity of
affection a man should regard his wife ; and with what tender
care he should labour for her temporal, spiritual, and eternal
good.]
Now, here we should have stopped, as having
brought into view all that the Apostle designed. But,
what the Apostle has spoken in our text necessarily
leads us to the contemplation of another subject, even,
II. The subject covertly intended —
We are perfectly surprised when we hear the
Apostle unexpectedly declaring, " I speak all this
concerning Christ and his Church." Truly, " this is
a mystery." Let us consider,
1. The mystery itself —
[Under the image of a marriage union, the Apostle has
been speaking of Christ and his Church, betiveen whom there
s ver. 25—27. h ver. 28—31.
2124.] UNION BETWEEN CHRIST AND HIS PEOPLE. 417
exists the same relation as between a man and his wife. The
Lord Jesus Christ is " a Bridegroom, and the Church is his
bride." This is the language both of the Old Testament1 and
the Newk: and between them exists a closer union than ever
existed between a man and his wife : for they are, by their
union, made " one flesh1" but Christ and his Church are " one
spirit™." They too, inasmuch as Christ has taken upon him
our nature, may be called one body ; so that, in reference to
Christ, it may be said of us, " We are members of his body,
even of his flesh and of his bones." But I say again, that, in
asmuch as we have a spiritual union with Christ, our connexion
with him is closer than any that can exist between persons
joined in the marriage bond; who, though one flesh, may be,
and too often are, far from being united in spirit.
By virtue of the union of Christ with his Church, she par
takes of all the privileges which a marriage union can convey.
He is entitled to the entire possession of our whole hearts :
and we become partakers of all his honours, and all his wealth,
and all his influence, and all his love. Nothing can be con
ceived as enjoyed by a woman in virtue of the marriage rela
tion which she has entered into, that is not imparted to us in
the richest possible abundance, as soon as we believe in Christ.
On the other hand, there are the same obligations entailed upon
us. The Lord Jesus Christ, if I may so speak, as bound in
covenant to us, will order every thing for our good : and we,
as given up to him in covenant, are bound to " forsake all for
him11," and " to live for him, and not for another0." To serve
him, and honour him, and glorify him, must from henceforth
be our supreme happiness, our only care. This is plainly set
forth by the Psalmist, who says, " Hearken, O daughter, and
consider, and incline thine ear ; forget also thine own people,
and thy father's house ; so shall the King greatly desire thy
beauty: for He is thy Lord; and worship thou himp."]
2. The greatness of this mystery-
fit is indeed " great," whether we consider it as a specu
lative truth, or whether we regard it in its practical importance.
As a speculative truth, how wonderful is it that the God of hea
ven and earth should become a man, and take into union with
himself such worthless and corrupt creatures as we ; submit
ting to the lowest depths of misery, in order to raise us to the
highest throne of his glory ! That he should acknowledge
such a relation between himself and us, and make that relation
the means of communicating to us all that felicity, is a mystery
1 Isai. liv. 5. k John iii. 29. ] ver. 31.
m 1 Cor. vi. 17. n Luke xiv. 33. ° Hos. iii. 3.
P Ps. xlv. 10, 11.
VOL. XVII. K I'-
418 EPHESIANS, V. 32. [2124.
too big for utterance, too deep for any finite intelligence to
explore.
In its practical importance, too, it far surpasses all human
comprehension. For to effect this union, is the very end for
which the Gospel itself is ministered to man. St. Paul preached
through immense regions, from Jerusalem round about unto
Illyricum. And what did he labour to accomplish ? What
was the effect of his ministrations ? He says to his Corinthian
converts, " I have espoused you to one husband, that I may
present you as a chaste virgin to Christq." Now this is our
object also, even to solicit, in the behalf of Christ, that you
will consent to an union with him, and surrender up yourselves
altogether unto him. This union, also, is the one only means
by winch you can ever bring forth fruit unto God. " Separate
from Christ," you can no more bear the fruits of holiness,
than a branch can bear grapes when separate from the viner.
St. Paul speaks of this, under the very image contained in our
text. He represents us as married, in our unconverted state,
to the law: but, on our conversion, the law, as far as re
spects its power over us, becomes dead ; so that we are at
liberty to be married unto Christ, and to bear fruit to him :
" My brethren," says he, " ye are become dead to the law by
the body of Christ, that ye should be married to another, even
to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth
fruit unto God8." In no way whatever can the fruits of right
eousness be produced by us, except by virtue of union with
him : for they are the fruits of his Spirit, communicated to us,
and abiding in us*. I may further add, that this union, begun
on eartht will be perpetuated in heaven for evermore. Earthly
connexions are dissolved by death : this is cemented and con
firmed. In this world we are rather betrothed, than actually
united* \ rather presented for approbation x, than brought to a
full enjoyment of the nuptial bonds. The consummation of
the marriage, with the feast attendant on it, is reserved for a
better world; and shall take place as soon as the bride is
fully prepared for the honours to be conferred upon her. So
says St. John, respecting a period yet future, when this glorious
ceremony is to be completed : " I heard as it were the voice
of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as
the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia : for the
Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice,
and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is
come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was
granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and
<i 2 Cor. xi. 2. r John xv. 5. xwple epov.
8 Rom. vii. 4. t Gal. v. 22, 23. Rom. vi. 22,
u Hos. ii. 19. * 2 Cor. xi. 2.
UNION BETWEEN CHRIST AND HIS PEOPLE. 419
white : for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And
he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called
unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto
me, These are the true sayings of Gody."
Say now, whether any thing can exceed the importance of
this mystery? You perceive, that to accomplish it is the end
of all our ministrations ; the actual completion of it is the only
means of sanctification to your souls; and the full enjoyment of
it in all its inconceivable benefits, is heaven. Verily, " this
is a great mystery ;" nor will eternity suffice for its full de-
velopement.]
Let me now, in CONCLUSION, entreat of you these two
things :
1. Seek by faith to realize this mystery—
[It must be realized by all : and the only way in which
it can be realized, is, by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is faith which unites us to him : it is faith which interests
us in him, and which brings down from him all that our souls
can stand in need of. Though the mystery which we have
been contemplating is great, yet the means by which we are
to have it realized are simple. Only believe in Christ, as be
coming man for you, as dying on the cross for you, as giving
himself to you in an everlasting covenant ; believe in him, I
say, as willing to confer on you all the blessings of salvation ;
and you shall find that you have not believed in vain : for
"out of his fulness shall you assuredly receive" all that you
can require, and all that he has undertaken to bestow upon
you.
And let not the thought of your own unworthiness discou
rage you : for there are none, however unworthy, whom he will
not receive into that relation, if only they will believe in him.
See the description given of the Jewish Church previous to
her union with him : " When I passed by thee, and saw thee
polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast
in thy blood, Live ; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in
thy blood, Live. When I passed by thee, and looked upon
thee, behold, thy time was the time of love ; and I spread my
skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness : yea, I sware unto
thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord
God, and thou becamest mine2." What more humiliating con
dition can you well conceive, than that of a new-born infant,
which is here thrice repeated, " polluted in its own blood?"
Yet out of that state did he select them, and from that, con
dition did he take them for his Church and people. Know
y Rev. xix. 6—9. * Ezck. xvi. 6, 8.
E E f >
420 EPHESIANS, V. 32. [2124.
then, that no unworthiness whatever is, or can be, a bar to
your union with Christ, if only you will accept his overtures
of love and mercy. Nay, if, after having been by profession
united to him, you have dishonoured him by the basest un
faithfulness, still he says to you, " Only acknowledge thine
iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy
God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every
green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the Lord.
Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord, for / am married
unto you&" Thus you see, that neither unworthiness before
your union to him, nor unfaithfulness after it, need cause you to
despair: for " where sin has abounded, his grace shall much
more aboundb;" and " those who come unto him, he will in
no wise cast out0."]
2. Endeavour, by works, to recommend and adorn
it—
[Persons who hear of your high pretensions, will naturally
ask, "What do ye more than othersd?" They have a right to
ask this question : and we ought to be able to answer it. If
we are brought into so near a relation to the Lord Jesus
Christ, we ought to shew the effect which it produces on us.
We ought to walk worthy of the new condition into which we
are brought, and worthy of Him who has raised us to ite.
The King's daughter ought to be " all glorious within ; and
her clothing should be of wrought goldf." There should be
in us universal holiness, both in heart and life. The whole
" spirit of our minds should be renewed8;" and we should be
altogether " new creatures in Christ Jesus; old things haying
passed away, and all things having become newh." Beloved
brethren, see that ye answer to this character: see that ye
" walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in
every good work1," and " filled with all the fruits of righteous
ness, which are by Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of
Godk." This will honour your divine Husband: this will
answer the end for which he has chosen you to himself, and
will best prove the truth and excellence of the communications
you have received from him. Then will another mystery be
seen. Men will wonder how it is that you have been enabled
so to " put off the old man, which is corrupt according to the
deceitful lusts ; and so to put on the new man, which, after
God, is created in righteousness and true holiness1." But
they will have the true solution of the phenomenon, when
a Jer. iii. 13, 14. b Rom. v. 20. c John vi. 37.
d Matt. v. 47. e Eph. iv. 1. 1 Thess. ii. 12.
f Ps. xlv. 13. s Eph. iv. 23. l 2 C^r. v. 17.
1 Col. i. 10. * Phil. i. 11. i Eph. iv. 22, 24.
2125.] TUE CHRISTIAN'S STRENGTH. 421
they know into what close connexion ye have been brought to
the Lord Jesus Christ, and how " mightily his Spirit has
wrought within you :" and they will readily receive the mystery
which they cannot see, when they are constrained to acknow
ledge the mystery which they do see. They will be forced to
confess that ye are a people whom the Lord has blessed, and
that he is with you of a truth.]
MMCXXV.
THP; CHRISTIAN'S STRENGTH.
Eph. vi. 10. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and
in the power of his might.
THE Christian's life is frequently represented in
the Scriptures under the metaphor of a warfare.
Christ is called "the Captain of his salvation3;" and
they who have enlisted under his banners, and "quit
themselves like men/' " fighting the good fight of
faith V and enduring cheerfully all the hardships of
the campaign, are called " good soldiers of Jesus
Christ0." " Like warriors, they do not entangle
themselves with the affairs of this life, that they may
please him who has chosen them to be soldiers d;" but
they set themselves to "war a good warfare6/' and
they look for the rewards of victory, when they shall
have subdued all their enemies f.
In the chapter before us, this subject is not slightly
touched, as in the detached passages above referred
to, but is treated at large ; and that which in other
places is only a metaphor, is here a professed simile.
St. Paul, standing, as it were, in the midst of the
camp, harangues the soldiers, telling them what ene
mies they have to combat, and how they may guard
effectually against all their stratagems, and secure to
themselves the victory. He begins with an animating
exhortation, wherein he reminds them of the won
derful talents of their General, and urges them to
a Heb. ii. 10. b 1 Cor. xvi. 13. 1 Tim. vi. 12.
r 2 Tim. ii. 3. d 2 Tim. ii. 4. e 1 Tim. i. 18.
f 2 Tim. iii. 7, 8. Rev. in. 21.
EPHES1ANS, VI. 10. [2125.
place the most unlimited confidence in his skill and
power.
The exhortation being contracted into a very small
space, and conveying far more than appears at first
sight, we shall consider, first, What is implied in it ;
and afterwards, What is expressed.
I. What is implied in the exhortation—
The first thing that would naturally occur to any
one to whom this exhortation was addressed, is, that
the Christian has need of strength ; for on any other
supposition than this, the words would be altogether
absurd.
But the Christian will indeed appear to require
strength, whether we consider the work he has to per
form, or the difficulties he has to cope with. It is no
easy matter to stem the tide of corrupt nature, to
controul the impetuous passions, to root out inve
terate habits, to turn the current of our affections
from the things of time and sense to things invisible
and eternal. To renew and sanctify our hearts, and
to transform them into the Divine image, is a work
far beyond the power of feeble man ; yet is it indis
pensably necessary to his salvation.
But as though this were not of itself sufficient* to
call forth the Christian's exertions, he has hosts of
enemies to contend with, as soon as ever he ad
dresses himself in earnest to the work assigned him.
Not to mention all the propensities of his nature,
which will instantly rise up in rebellion against him,
and exert all their power for the mastery, the world
will immediately begin to cry out against him ; they
will direct all their artillery against him, their scoffs,
their ridicule, their threats : his very friends will
turn against him ; and " those of his own household
will become his greatest foes." They would let him
go on in the broad road year after year, and not one
amongst them would ever exhort him to love and
serve his God : but the very moment that he enters
on the narrow path that leadeth unto life, they will
all, with one heart and one soul, unite their endea-
2125.] THE CHRISTIAN'S STRENGTH.
vours to obstruct his course ; and when they cannot
prevail, they will turn their back upon him, and give
him up as an irreclaimable enthusiast.
In conjunction with these will Satan (as we shall
hereafter have occasion to shew) combine his forces :
yea, he will put himself at their head, and direct
their motions, and stimulate their exertions, and
concur with them to the uttermost to captivate and
destroy the hea\ en-born soul.
And can such work be performed, such difficulties
be surmounted, without the greatest efforts ? Surely
they who are called to such things, had need " be
strong."
A second thing implied in the exhortation is, that
the Christian has no strength in himself ; for, if he
had, why should he be exhorted to be strong in
another ?
Little do men imagine how extremely impotent
they are, in themselves, to that which is good. It
must be easy, one would suppose, to read and under
stand the word of God, or, at least, to profit by a clear
and faithful ministration of it. But these are far
beyond the power of the natural man. The word is
" a sealed book" to himg, which, for want of a spiri
tual discernment, appears a mass of foolishness11, a
" cunningly devised fable1." When it was even ex
plained by our Lord, the Apostles, for the space of
more than three years, were not able to comprehend
its import, till he opened their understandings to
understand itk; and Lydia, like thousands of others,
would have been unmoved by the preaching of Paul,
if " the Lord had not opened her heart" to appre
hend and embrace his word1. It should seem, how
ever, that if these things be beyond the power of
man, he can at least pray to God to instruct him.
But neither can he do this, unless the Spirit of God
" help his infirmities," teaching him what to pray
8 Isai. xxix. 11, 12. * \ Cor. ii. 14.
' 2 Pet. i. 16. and Ezok. xx. 11*. k Luke xxiv. 4-1, 4f>.
1 Acts xvi. 14.
424 EPHES1ANS, VI. 10.
for™, and assisting him in offering the petitions"."
If he be insufficient for this work, it may be hoped
he is able to do something. But our Lord tells us,
that, without the special aid of his grace, he " can do
nothing0." Can he not then speak what is good?
No ; " How can ye, being evil, speak good thingsp?"
says our Lord : and St. Paul says, " No man can say
that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy GhostV
Still may he not will, or at least think, what is good ?
We must answer this also in the negative : " It is
God alone who worketh in us both to will and to do,
of his good pleasure1." Nor had St. Paul himself,
no, not even after his conversion, an ability, of him
self, to " think any thing good ; his sufficiency was
of God, and of God alone8." Our impotence cannot
be more fitly expressed by any words whatever, than
by that expression of the Apostle, " Ye are dead in
trespasses and sins1 :" for, till God quicken us from
the dead, we are as incapable of all the exercises of
the spiritual life, as a breathless corpse is of all the
functions of the animal life.
There is yet a third thing implied in this exhor
tation, namely, that there is a sufficiency for us in
Christ; for otherwise the Apostle would not have
urged us in this manner to be strong in him.
Well does the Apostle speak of Christ's (< mighty
power ;" for indeed he is almighty, " he has all power
committed to him both in heaven and in earth V
We may judge of his all-sufficiency by what he
wrought when he was on earth : the most inveterate
diseases vanished at his touch, at his word, at a mere
act of volition, when he was at a distance from the
patient. The fishes of the sea were constrained to
minister unto him : yea, the devils themselves yielded
to his authority, and were instantly forced to liberate
their captives at his command : they could not even
enter into the swine without his permission. The
very elements also were obedient to his word ; the
m Rom. viii. 26. " Jude, ver. 20. Zech. xii. 10, ° John xv. 5.
P Matt. xii. 34. a 1 Cor. xii. 3. r Phil. ii. 13.
* '2 Cor. iii. 5. ' Eph. ii. ], « Matt, xxviii. 18.
2125.] THE CHRISTIAN'S STRENGTH. 4-25
winds were still ; the waves forbore to roll ; the
storm that threatened to overwhelm him, became a
perfect calm. What then can he not do for those
who trust in him ? " Is his hand now shortened,
that he cannot save ? or is his ear heavy, that he
cannot hear?" Can he not heal the diseases of our
souls, and calm our troubled spirits, and supply our
every want ? Cannot he who " triumphed over prin
cipalities and powers upon the cross, and spoiled
them, and led them captive in his ascension V' fulfil
his promise, that " sin shall not have dominion over
usy," and that " Satan shall be bruised under our
feet shortly2 ?" Doubtless he is " the Lord Jehovah,
with whom is everlasting strength*," and who is
therefore "able to save to the uttermost all that
come unto God by himb."
These things being understood as implied in the
exhortation, we may more fully comprehend in the
II.d place, what is expressed in it.
It is evident that there are two points to which
the Apostle designs to lead us : the one is, to rely on
Christ for strength, the other is, to " be strong in him"
with an assured confidence of success.
In relation to the first of these we observe, that a
general must confide in his army full as much as his
army confides in him ; for as they cannot move to
advantage without an experienced head to guide
them, so neither can he succeed in his plans, unless
he have a brave and well-appointed army to carry
them into execution. It is not thus in the Christian
army ; there all the confidence is in the General
alone. He must not only train his soldiers, and
direct them in the day of battle, but he must be
with them in the battle, shielding their heads, and
strengthening their arms, and animating their cou
rage, and reviving them when faint, and raising them
when fallen, and healing them when wounded, and
finally, beating down their enemies that they may
trample them under their feet.
x Col. ii. 15. Eph. iv. 8. y Rom. vi. 14. * Rom, xvi. 20.
a Isai. xxvi. 4. b Heb. vii. 25.
EPHESIANS, VI. 10. [2125.
The fulness that is in Christ is treasured up in
him for usc, that we may receive out of it accord
ing to our necessities. As he came down from hea
ven to purchase for us all the gifts of the Spirit, so
he has ascended up to heaven that he might bestow
them upon usd, and fill us, each according to his
measure, with all the fulness of Gode. Hence pre
vious to his death he said, " Ye believe in God ;
believe also in mef:" let that same faith which you
repose in God the Father as your Creator, he reposed
in me as your Redeemer : let it be full, and implicit :
let it extend to every want : let it be firm and un
shaken, under all circumstances however difficult,
however adverse.
Such was our Lord's direction : and agreeable to
it was the experience of the great Apostle, who says,
" The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the
faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave
himself for meg."
It is characteristic of every Christian soldier to re
ceive thus out of Christ's fulnessh ; and to say, " In
the Lord have I righteousness and strength1."
But the principal point which the Apostle aims at
in the text, is, to inspire us with a holy confidence in
Christ, so that we may be as much assured of victory
as if we saw all our enemies fleeing before us, or
already prostrate at our feet. We cannot have a
more striking illustration of our duty in this respect
than the history of David's combat with Goliath. He
would not go against his adversary with armour
suited to the occasion : he went forth in the name of
the God of Israel ; and therefore he did not doubt
one moment the issue of the contest : he well knew
that God could direct his aim ; and that he was as
sure of victory without any other arms than a sling
and a stone from his shepherd's bag, as he could be
with the completest armour that Saul himself could
c Col. i. 19. Eph. i. 22, 23. d Eph. iv. 10.
e Eph. iii. 19. and iv. 7. f John xiv. 1.
K Gal. ii. 20. »' John i. 10. > Isai. xlv. 24.
2125. J THE CHRISTIAN'S STRENGTH. 427
give himk. What David thus illustrated, we may see
exemplified in the conduct of St. Paul : " If God be
for us," says he, "who can be against us ?" Who is
he that shall condemn me ? (shall the law curse me ?
or Satan overcome me ?) I fear none of them ; since
" Christ has died, yea rather, is risen again, and
maketh intercession for me. Who shall separate me
from the love of Christ ? shall tribulation, or distress,
or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or
sword ? Nay, in all these things we are more than
conquerors through him that loved us : for I am
persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor
things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other
creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of
God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord1." Thus it
is that we must go forth against all the enemies of
our salvation: we must "have no confidence in the
flesh m;" neither must we have any doubt respecting
the all-sufficiency of our God : the weakest among us
should boldly say, " The Lord is my helper ; I will
not fear what men or devils can do against me11:"
" I can do all things through Christ who strengthened
me0."
In APPLYING this subject to the different classes of
professing Christians, we should first address
ourselves to the self -confident.
It is the solemn declaration of God, that " by
strength shall no man prevail5." We might hope
that men would be convinced of this truth by their
own experience. Who amongst us has not made
vows and resolutions without number, and broken
them again almost as soon as they were made ? Who
ever resolved to devote himself unfeignedly to God,
and did not find, that he was unable steadfastly to
pursue his purpose ? What folly is it then to be
renewing these vain attempts, when we have the
k 1 Sam. xvii. 45—47. J Rom. viii. 31—39. ™ Phil. iii. 3.
n Heb. xiii. 6. ° Phil. iv. 13.
P ISam.ii. 9. See also Rom.ix. 16. andZech. iv.6. and Johni. 13.
428 EPHESIANS, VI. 10. [2125.
evidence both of Scripture and experience that we
cannot succeed ! How much better would it be to
trust in that " mighty One,, on whom help is laidq !"
Learn, brethren, before it be too late, that " without
CHRIST you can do nothing :" that " all your fresh
springs are in hi?nr:" and "of him must your fruit be
found5:" "in him alone shall all the seed of Israel be
justified, and shall glory1." If you will not " be
strong in him" you will continue " without strength :"
but if once you truly " know him, you shall be strong,
and do exploits11."
We would next claim the attention of the timid.
It is but too common for the Lord's people to be in
dulging needless fears, like David, when he said, " I
shall one day perish by the hands of Saulx." But
surely such deserve the rebuke which our Lord gave
to Peter, " O thou of little faith, wherefore dost thou
doubty ?" If thou doubtest the Lord's willingness to
save thee, say, wherefore did he die for thee, even
for the chief of sinners ? If thou callest in question
his power, what is there in thy case that can baffle
Omnipotence ? If thou art discouraged on account
of thy own weakness, know that the weaker thou art
in thyself, the stronger thou shalt be in him2; and
that " he will perfect his own strength in thy weak
ness3." If thou fearest on account of the strength
and number of thine enemies, he meets thy fears with
this salutary admonition ; " Say ye not, A confede
racy, a confederacy ; but sanctify the Lord of Hosts
himself, and let him be your fear, and let him be
your dread b." Only trust in him ; and though weak,
he will strengthen theec ; though faint, he will re
vive theed; though wounded, he will heal theee;
though captive, he will liberate theef ; though slain,
he will raise thee up again, and give thee the victory
i Ps. Ixxxix. 19. r Ps. Ixxxvii. 7. 9 Hos. xiv. 8.
1 Isai. xlv. 25. u Dan. xi. 32. * 1 Sam. xxvii. 1.
>' Matt. xiv. 31. z 2 Cor. xii. 10. a 2 Cor. xii. 9.
l) Isai. viii. 12, 13. " Isai. xxvi. 6. d Isai. xl. 29— 31.
e Exod. xv. 26. Isai. xxxiii. 23.
f Isai. xiv. 2. and xlix. 24, 25.
2125.] THE CHRISTIAN'S STRENGTH. 429
over all thine enemies g. " Be strong then and very
courageous11 :" abhor the thought of indulging a cow
ardly spirit,, as long as " God's throne is in heaven1 ;"
and assure yourselves, with David, that though your
" enemies encompass you as bees, in the name of the
Lord you shall destroy themV
Lastly, let the victorious Christian listen to a word
of counsel. We are apt to be elated in the time of
victory, and to arrogate to ourselves some portion of
the glory. But God solemnly cautions us against
this1: and if, with Nebuchadnezzar or Sennacherib,
we take the glory to ourselves, the time is nigh at
hand when God will fearfully abase usm. We cannot
do better than take the Psalmist for our pattern : he
was enabled to perform the most astonishing feats,
and was honoured with the most signal victories : yet
so careful is he to give the glory to God, that he
repeats again and again, the same grateful acknow
ledgments, confessing God to be the sole author of
his success, and ascribing to him the honour due
unto his name". Let it be remembered, that " our
enemies still live and are mighty :" and therefore we
must not boast as if the time were come for us to put
off our armour0. We need the same power to keep
down our enemies, as to bring them down at first :
we should soon fall a prey to the tempter, if left one
moment to ourselves. Let our eyes therefore still be
to Jesus, " the Author and the Finisher of our faith;"
depending on his mighty power for " strength ac
cording to our dayp," and for the accomplishment of
the promise which he hath given us, that " no weapon
formed against us shall ever prosper q."
% Isai. x. 4. This is a threatening; but it may be applied to God's
friends a fortiori.
h Josh. i. 6, 7, 9. * Ps. xi. 1—4. k Ps. cxviii. 6—12.
I Deut. vi. 10—12. and viii. 10, 11, 17, 18.
111 Isai. xxxvii. 24 — 29. Dan. iv. 30 — 32, 37.
II Ps. xviii. 29 — 42. () 1 Kings xx. 11.
v Dent, xxxiii. 25. (i Isai. liv. 17.
430 EPHESIANS, VI. 11. [2126.
MMCXXVI.
THE MEANS OF WITHSTANDING SATAN*S WILES.
Eph. vi. 11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be
able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
TO be possessed of courage is not the only requi
site for a good soldier ; he must be skilled in the use
of arms ; he must be acquainted with those stratagems
which his adversaries will use for his destruction ; he
must know how to repel an assault, and how in his
turn to assault his enemy : in short, he must be
trained to war. Nor will his knowledge avail him
any thing, unless he stand armed for the combat.
Hence the Apostle, having encouraged the Christian
soldier, and inspired him with confidence in "the
Captain of his salvation," now calls him to put on
his armour, and by a skilful use of it, to prepare for
the day of battle.
To open fully the direction before us, we must
shew you, first, the wiles of the devil ; and next, the
means of defeating them.
I. We shall endeavour to lay before you " the wiles
of the devil" —
Satan is the great adversary of God and man ; and
labours to the uttermost to destroy the interests of
both. In prosecuting his purpose, he has two grand
objects in view, namely, to lead men into sin, and to
keep them from God. We must consider these dis
tinctly ; and point out the stratagems he uses for the
attainment of his ends.
1. To lead men into sin —
To effect this, he presents to them such tempta
tions as are best suited to their natural dispositions.
As a skilful general will not attempt to storm a fort
on the side that it is impregnable, but will rather
direct his efforts against the weaker parts, where he
has a better prospect of success ; so Satan considers
the weak part of every man, and directs his artillery
where he may most easily make a breach. He
2126.] MEANS OF WITHSTANDING SATAN's WILES. 431
well knew the covetous dispositions of Judas, and of
Ananias and Sapphira : when therefore he wanted
the one to betray his Master, and the others to
bring discredit on the Christian name, he wrought
upon their natural propensities, and instigated them
with ease to the execution of his willa. Thus he
stimulates the proud or passionate, the lewd or
covetous, the timid or melancholy, to such acts as
are most congenial with their feelings, to the intent
that his agency may be least discovered, and his pur
poses most effectually secured.
Much craft is also discoverable in the seasons which
he chooses for making his assaults. If a general
knew that his adversaries were harassed with fatigue,
or revelling and intoxicated amidst the spoils of vic
tory, or separated from the main body of their army,
so that they could have no succour, he would not
fail to take advantage of such circumstances, rather
than attack them when they were in full force, and
in a state of readiness for the combat. Such a
general is Satan. If he finds us in a state of great
trouble and perplexity, when the spirits are exhausted,
the mind clouded, the strength enervated, then he
will seek to draw us to murmuring or despair. Thus
he acted towards Christ himself when he had been
fasting forty days and forty nights ; and again, on
the eve of his crucifixion. The former of these
occasions afforded him a favourable opportunity for
tempting our blessed Lord to despondency b, to pre
sumption0, to a total alienation of his heart from
Godd : the latter inspired him with a hope of draw
ing our Lord to some act unworthy of his high cha
racter, and subversive of the ends for which he came
into the world6. Again, if we have been elevated
with peculiar joy, he well knows how apt we are to
relax our vigilance, and to indulge a carnal security.
Hence, immediately on Paul's descent from the third
heavens, the paradise of God, Satan strove to puff
a John xiii. 2, 27. Acts v. 3. b Matt. iv. 2, 3.
c Matt. iv. G. d Matt. iv. 8, 9.
e John xiv. 30. Luke xxii. 4.4, o-3.
432 EPHESIANS, VI. 11. [2126.
him up with pride f, that so he might bring him into
the condemnation of the devilg. And with more suc
cess did he assault Peter immediately after the most
exalted honour had been conferred upon him ; whereby
he brought upon the unguarded saint that just rebuke,
" Get thee behind me, Satan ; for thou savourest not
the things that be of God, but those that be of men11."
Above all, Satan is sure to embrace an opportunity
when we are alone, withdrawn from those whose eye
would intimidate, or whose counsel would restrain,
us. He could not prevail on Lot, when in the midst
of Sodom, to violate the rights of hospitality ; but
when he was in a retired cave, he too successfully
tempted him to repeated acts of drunkenness and
incest. And who amongst us has not found that
seasons of privacy, or, at least, of seclusion from
those who knew us, have been seasons of more than
ordinary temptation ?
The means which Satan uses in order to accomplish
his purpose, will afford us a yet further insight into
his wiles. Whom will a general so soon employ to
betray the enemy into his hands, as one who by his
power can command them, or by his professions can
deceive them ! And is it not thus with Satan ? If
he want to draw down the judgments of God upon
the whole nation of the Jews, he will stir up David,
in spite of all the expostulations of his courtiers, to
number the people1. If he would destroy Ahab, he
becomes a lying spirit in the mouth of Ahab's pro
phets, to persuade him, and by him to lead Jehoshaphat
also and the combined armies into the most immi
nent perilk. Would he have Job to curse his God?
no fitter person to employ on this service than Job's
own wife, whom he taught to give this counsel,
" Curse God, and die1." Would he prevail on Jesus
f 2 Cor. xii. 7. 8 1 Tim. iii. 6, 7.
h Matt. xvi. 16—19, 22, 23. j Numb. xxi. 1—4.
k 1 Kings xxii. 21, 22. See the instance also of Elymas the
sorcerer, who on account of his efforts is called " a child of the devil."
Acts xiii. 10.
1 Job ii. 9.
2126.1 MEANS OF WITHSTANDING SATAN*S WILES. 433
to lay aside the thoughts of suffering for the sins of
men ? his friend Peter must offer him this advice,
" Master,, spare thyself™." Thus in leading us to the
commission of sin, he will use sometimes the autho
rity of magistrates, of masters, or of parents, and
sometimes the influence of our dearest friends or
relatives. No instruments so fit for him, as those of
a man's own household".
There is also something further observable in the
manner in which Satan tempts the soul. An able
general will study to conceal the main object of his
attack, and by feints to deceive his enemy0. Thus
does Satan form his attack with all imaginable cun
ning. His mode of beguiling Eve will serve as a
specimen of his artifices in every age. He first only
inquired whether any prohibition had been given her
and her husband respecting the eating of the fruit of
a particular tree ; insinuating at the same time, that
it was very improbable that God should impose upon
them such an unnecessary restraint. Then, on being
informed that the tasting of that fruit was forbidden,
and that the penalty of death was to be inflicted on
them in the event of their disobedience, he intimated,
that such a consequence could never follow : that,
on the contrary, the benefits which should arise to
them from eating of that fruit were incalculcible. In
this manner he led her on, from parleying with him,
to give him credit ; and, from believing him, to com
ply with his solicitations5. And thus it is that he acts
towards us : he for a time conceals his full purpose :
he pleads at first for nothing more than the grati
fication of the eye, the ear, the imagination; but is
no sooner master of one fort, or station, than he
plants his artillery there, and renews his assaults, till
the whole soul has surrendered to his dominion.
2. The other grand device of Satan is, to keep men
from God. If, after having yielded to his suggestions,
the soul were to return to God with penitence and
contrition, all Satan's wiles, how successful soever
m Matt. xvi. 1(5—19, 22, 23. » Matt. x. 36.
0 Josh, viii. 5, 6, 15, 21. P Gen. iii. 1 — 6.
VOL. XVII. F F
434 EPHESIANS, VI. 11. [2126.
they had before been, would be frustrated at once.
The next labour therefore of our great adversary is,
to secure his captive, that he may not escape out of
his hands. The wiles he makes use of to accomplish
this, come next under our consideration.
He will begin with misrepresenting to his captives
their own character. One while he will insinuate that,
though they may have transgressed in some smaller
matters, yet they have never committed any great
sin, and therefore have no need to disquiet them
selves with apprehensions of God's wrath. If he
cannot compose their minds in that way, he will
suggest, that their iniquities have been so numerous,
and so heinous, as to preclude all hope of forgiveness.
He will endeavour to make them believe that they
have been guilty of the unpardonable sin, or that
their day of grace is passed ; so that they may as
well take their fill of present delights, since all
attempts to secure eternal happiness will be fruitless.
To such artifices as these our Lord refers, when he
tells us, that the strong man armed keepeth his
palace and his goods in peace q.
Next he will misrepresent to his captives the cha
racter of God. He will impress them with the idea
that God is too merciful to punish any one eternally
for such trifling faults as theirs. Or, if that fail to
lull them asleep, he will intimate, that the insulted
Majesty of heaven demands vengeance : that the
justice and holiness of the Deity would be disho
noured, if pardon were vouchsafed to such offenders
as they. Probably too, he will suggest that God has
not elected them ; and that therefore they must perish,
since they cannot alter his decrees, or save them
selves without his aid. He will, as in his assaults
upon our blessed Lord1, bring the Scriptures them
selves to countenance his lies; and, by a misappli
cation of difficult and detached passages, endeavour
to hide from us the perfections of our God, as har
monizing and glorified in our redemption8. It was
q Luke xi. 21, 26. r Matt. iv. 0. s 2 Cor. iv. 4.
2126.] MEANS OF WITHSTANDING SATAN^S WILES. 435
in this manner that he strove to discourage Joshua1,
and to detain David in his bonds11: such advantage
too he sought to take of the incestuous Corinthian x :
and, if this stratagem be not defeated, he will prevail
over us to our eternal ruin.
But there is another stratagem which, for the
subtilty of its texture, the frequency of its use, and
its successfulness in destroying souls, deserves more
especial notice. When effectual resistance has been
made to the foregoing temptations, and in spite of
all these misrepresentations, the sinner has attained
a just view both of his own character, and of God's,
then Satan has recourse to another wile, that pro
mises indeed to the believer a speedy growth in the
divine life, but is intended really to divert him from
all proper thoughts both of himself and of God. He
will " transform himself into an angel of light," and
make use of some popular minister, or some talkative
professor, as his agent in this business. He will by
means of his emissaries draw the young convert to
matters of doubtful disputation : he will perplex his
mind with some intricate questions respecting matters
of doctrine, or of discipline in the Church. He will
either controvert, and explode acknowledged truths,
or carry them to an extreme, turning spirituality to
mysticism, or liberty to licentiousness. Having en
tangled him in this snare, he will puff him up with a
conceit of his own superior attainments, and speedily
turn him from the simplicity that is in Christ. Little
do his agents, who appear to be " ministers of right
eousness," imagine that they are really " ministers ol
the devil ;" and little do they who are inveigled by
them, consider " in what a snare they are taken :"
but God himself, who sees all these secret transac
tions, and discerns their fatal tendency, has given us
this very account, and thereby guarded us against
this dangerous device7.
Thus have we seen the temptations by which Satan
leads men into sin, together with the seasons, the
t Zech. iv. 1, 2. u Ps. Ixxvii. 7 — 9,
x 2 Cor. ii. 7, 11. y 2 Cor. xi. 3, 13 — 15.
F F 2
436 EPHESIANS, VI. 11. [2126.
means, and the manner, of his assaults. We have
seen also how he keeps them from God, even by
misrepresenting to them their own character, and God's,
or by diverting them from a due attention either to
themselves or God.
II. Let us now proceed in the second place to point
out the means by which these wiles may be
defeated —
This part of our subject will come again into dis
cussion, both generally, in the next discourse, and
particularly, when we treat of the various pieces of
armour provided for us. Nevertheless we must
distinctly, though briefly, shew in this place, What
we are to understand by the whole armour of God ;
and, How we are to put it on ; and, In what way it
will enable us to withstand the devil's wiles.
Armour is of two kinds, defensive and offensive ;
the one to protect ourselves, the other to assail our
enemy. Now God has provided for us every thing
that is necessary for a successful maintenance of
the Christian warfare. Is our head exposed to the
assaults of Satan ? there is " a helmet" to guard it.
Is our heart liable to be pierced ? there is a " breast
plate" to defend it. Are our feet subject to such
wounds as may cause us to fall ? there are " shoes,"
or greaves, for their protection. Is our armour likely
to be loosened? there is a "girdle" to keep it fast.
Are there apertures, by which a well-aimed dart may
find admission ? there is a " shield," which may be
moved for the defence of every part, as occasion may
require. Lastly, the Christian soldier is furnished
with a sword also, by the skilful use of which he may
inflict deadly wounds on his adversary.
But here it will be asked, How shall we get this
armour ? and, how shall we put it on ? To obtain
it, we must go to the armoury of heaven, and receive
it from the hands of the Captain of our salvation.
No creature in the universe can give it us. He, and
he only, who formed it, can impart it to us. As,
when God had decreed the destruction of Babylon,
2126,] MEANS OF WITHSTANDING SATAN*S WILES. 437
we are told, that " the Lord opened his armoury, and
brought forth the weapons of his indignation2;" so,
when he has commissioned us to go forth against sin
and Satan, he must supply us with the arms, whereby
alone we can execute his will : and we must be daily
going to him in prayer, that he would furnish us
from head to foot, or rather, that he himself would
be " our shield and buckler," our almighty protector
and deliverer3.
When we have received our armour, then we are
to " put it on." It is not given us to look at, but to
use : not to wear for amusement, but to gird on for
actual service. We must examine it, to see that it
is indeed of celestial temper, and that none is wanting.
We must adjust it carefully in all its parts, that it
may not be cumbersome and useless in the hour of
need : and when we have clothed ourselves with it,
then we must put forth our strength, and use it for
the purposes for which it is designed.
Our more particular directions must be reserved,
till we consider the use of each distinct part of this
armour. We shall only add at present, that, if we
thus go forth to the combat, we shall surely vanquish
our subtle enemy. We say not, that he shall never
wound us ; for the most watchful of us are sometimes
off our guard ; and the most experienced of us some
times deceived. But we can assure the whole army
of Christians, that Satan shall never finally prevail
against themb. Their head shall be preserved from
error0; their heart, from iniquity d; their feet, from
foiling6.
What remains then but that we call ^on all of you
to put on this armour ? Let not any imagine that
they can stand without it : for, if Adam was van
quished even in Paradise, how much more shall we
be overpowered ? If the perfect armour with which
he was clad by nature, proved insufficient for the
combat, how shall we stand, who are altogether
z Jer, 1. 25. a Ps. Ixxxiv. 11. and xviii. 2.
b Matt. xvi. 18. c Isai. xxxv. 8
d Rom. vi. 14. c> 1 Sam. ii. 9. 2 Pet. i. 10.
438 EPHESIANS, VI. 12, 13. [2127.
stripped of every defence ! If Satan,, while yet a
novice in the art of tempting, " beguiled our first
parents by his subtilty," how much more will he
beguile and ruin us, after so many thousand years of
additional experience ! Arise then, all of you, and
gird yourselves for the combat. Ye careless ones,
know that ye are already " led captive by the devil
at his will1' ;" and the more you think yourselves
secure, the more you shew that you are the dupes of
Satan's wiles. Ye weak and timid, " be strong, fear
not ; hath not God commanded you ? Be strong,
and of a good courage ; be not afraid, neither be dis
mayed ; for the Lord your God is with you, whither
soever ye gog." Only go forth in dependence upon
God, and " no weapon that is formed against you
shall ever prosper11." But take care that you have
on the whole armour of God. In vain will be the
use of any, if the whole be not used. One part left
unprotected will prove as fatal, as if you were exposed
in every part. But if you follow this counsel, you
may defy all the hosts of hell : for " the weakest of
you shall be as David, and the house of David shall
be as God1."
f 2 Tim. ii. 26. e Josh. i. 6, 9.
h Isai. liv. 17. * Zech. xii. 8.
MMCXXVIL
TO WITHSTAND THE POWER OF SATAN.
Eph. vi. 12, 13. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but
against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of
the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in
high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of
God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and
having done all, to stand.
IN persuading men to undertake any arduous
office, and more especially to enlist into the army, it
is customary to keep out of view, as much as possible,
the difficulties and dangers they will be exposed to,
and to allure them by prospects of pleasure, honour,
2127.] T0 WITHSTAND THE POWER OF SATAN. 439
or emolument. It was far otherwise with Christ and
his Apostles. When our Lord invited men to enlist
under his banners, he told them that they would
have to enter on a course of pain and self-denial ;
" If any man will be my disciple, let him deny him
self, and take up his cross daily, and follow me."
Thus St. Paul, at the very time that he is endeavour
ing to recruit the Christian army, tells us plainly,
that the enemies we shall have to combat, are the
most subtle and powerful of any in the universe.
Deceit and violence, the two great engines of cruelty
and oppression, are their daily practice and delight.
In conformity with the Apostle's plan, we have
opened to you, in some measure, the wiles of that
adversary, whom we are exhorting you to oppose :
and we shall now proceed to set before you some
what of his power ; still however encouraging you
not to be dismayed, but to go forth against him with
an assurance of victory.
We shall shew you,
I. What a powerful adversary we have to contend
with —
As soon as any man enlists under the banners of
Christ, the world will turn against him, even as the
kings of Canaan did against the Gibeonites, the very
instant they had made a league with Joshua a. "Those
of his own household will most probably be his
greatest foes." To oppose these manfully is no easy
task : but yet these are of no consideration in com
parison of our other enemies ; " We wrestle not
against flesh and blood b," says the Apostle, but
"against all the principalities and powers" of hellc.
a Josh. x. 4. with John xv. 18, 19.
b The terms "flesh and hlood" are sometimes used to signify any
human being, (Matt. xvi. 17.) and sometimes, our corrupt nature,
whether intellectual (Gal. i. 16.) or corporeal, (1 Cor. xv. 50.) Here
they denote the world at large.
c Commentators labour exceedingly, but in vain, to make any
tolerable sense of ev TO~IQ iirovpavioie as translated in our version. But
if they were construed with >/ TraX?/, thus, " Our conflict about hea-
vcnlij things" and rd Tn/evjuari/tci 7/ye Troi'r/pmr be considered as equi
valent to 7roi'r]pa 7n'tiy.iaru, the whole sense would be clear and
440 EPHESIANS,, VI. 12, 13. [2127.
It is not merely in a rhetorical way that the Apostle
accumulates so many expressions, to designate our
enemies : the different terms he uses are well cal
culated to exhibit their power ; which will appear to
us great indeed, if we consider what he intimates
respecting their nature, their number, and their office.
With respect to their nature, they are " wicked
spirits." Once they were bright angels around the
throne of God : but " they kept not their first
estate ; " and therefore they were " cast down to
helld." But though they have lost the holiness, they
still retain, the power, of angels. As " angels, they
excel in strength6/' and are far "greater in power
and might f" than any human being. They have,
moreover, an immense advantage over us, in that
they are spirits. Were they flesh and blood like
ourselves, we might see them approaching, and either
flee from them, or fortify ourselves against them :
at least, there would be some time when, through
weariness, they must intermit their efforts : but
being spirits their approaches to us are invisible,
irresistible, incessant.
Their number is also intimated, in that they are
represented as "principalities and powers," consist
ing of multitudes who hold, like men on earth and
angels in heaven g, various degrees of honour and
authority under one head. To form a conjecture
respecting their numbers, would be absurd ; since we
are totally in the dark on that subject. This how
ever we know, that they are exceeding many ; be
cause our Lord cast no less than seven out of one
woman11; and one man was possessed by a whole
troop or " legion" at once1. We have reason there-
unembarrassed. For that sense of kv, see Rom. xi. 2. and Gal. i. 24 ;
and, for a much greater separation of words that are to be construed
together, see Rom. ii. 12, 16. Indeed, the distance between ?/ ira\ri
and iv TOIQ eTruvpavioiz is not worthy of notice, if it be considered, that
four of the intermediate members of the sentence are a mere accu
mulation of synonymous expressions, a periphrasis for irovripa irvtij-
jjictra.
d Jude, ver. f>. and 2 Pet. ii. 4. e Ps. ciii. 20.
f 2 Pet. ii. 11. s Col. i. 16. h Mark xvi. 9. * Mark v. 9.
2127.] T0 WITHSTAND THE POWER OF SATAN. 441
fore to think that their number far exceeds that of
the human species ; because there is no human being
beyond the reach of their assaults, no, not for a
single hour. Nor are they formidable merely on
account of their number, but principally on account
of their union, and subordination under one leader.
We read of "the devil and his angels V as of a king
and his subjects : and though we know not what
precise ranks and orders there may be among them,
we know the name of their chief, even " Beelzebub,
the prince of the devils1." It is because of their
acting thus in concert with each other, that they are
so often spoken of as one™ : and well they may be ;
for, the whole multitude of them are so perfectly one
in operation and design, that, if one spy out an ad
vantage, he may in an instant have a legion more to
second his endeavours : and as this constitutes the
strength of armies on earth, so does it give tenfold
power to our spiritual enemies.
The office which they execute as " the rulers of
this dark world," may serve yet further to give us
an idea of their strength. It is true, this office was
not delegated to them, but usurped by them : still
however, they retain it by God's permission, and
exercise it to our cost. Satan is expressly called,
" the prince of this world0," " the god of this world0,"
" the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that
now worketh in all the children of disobedience11."
He " blinds them" that they may not seeq, and then,
as the prophet led the Syrians, he leads them whi
thersoever he willr; he takes them captive altogether8.
A few indeed who are brought out of darkness into
the marvellous light of the Gospel, have cast off his
yoke : but except them, the whole world, enveloped
in worse than Egyptian darkness, lieth under him as
its universal monarch4. The very elements are under
k Matt. xxv. 41. ! Matt. xii. 24. m Luke iv. 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 13.
n John xii. 31. and xiv. 30. and xvi. 11. ° 2 Cor. iv. 4.
P Eph. ii. 2. q 2 Cor. iv. 4. r 2 Kings vi. 18—20.
s 2 Tim. ii. 26.
1 1 John v. 19. 'Ev rw 7roj'?ypw, in the ivickcd one.
142 EPHESIANS, VI. 12, 13. [2127.
his controul, and concur with men and devils to fulfil
his will. Would he deprive Job of his substance ?
hosts of Sabeans and Chaldeans come at his call, to
plunder himu. Would he destroy all his family ? the
wind rises at his command to smite their house,, and
overwhelm them in its ruins x.
Such are the enemies with whom we have to con
tend. If we desire to prosecute earthly things, we
can go on with ease ; we can follow them without in
terruption from day to day, and from year to year :
with respect to these things, the devils would rather
help us forward, than obstruct our way. But the
very instant we begin to seek " heavenly things," all
hell is in alarm, just as all the Canaanites were, when
they understood that Joshua's spies had been seen in
their land7. If we begin to listen to the word of
God, he will send some emissary, some child of his.
whom he has endued with peculiar subtilty, to turn
us from the faith2. If the word, like good seed, be
sown upon our hearts, he will send a host of devils,
like birds of the air, to pick up the seeda. If any,
in spite of his efforts, take root in our hearts, he will
instantly sow tares to grow up with the wheatb, and
thorns to choke itc. We cannot go into the presence
of God to pray, but " Satan will be at our right hand
to resist usd." The conflict we have to maintain with
him, is not like that which is common to our armies,
where a part bear the brunt of the battle, and the
rest are reserved for exigencies : in this view it is
more properly compared to " a wrestling" where
every man meets his antagonist, and must continue
the contest, till the fall of one party decides the
victory. Such the Scripture describes our contest
to be ; and such it is proved to be by every man's
experience : there is no man who, if he will only
observe the ease with which he enters upon his
worldly calling, and keeps up his attention to it, and
the comparative difficulty he finds, as soon as ever
u Job i. 12, 15, 17. x Job i. 19. y Josh. ii. 9, 11.
z Actsxiii. 7 — 10. a Matt. xiii. 4, 19. b Matt. xiii. 25.
c Matt. xiii. 7,22. d Zech. iii. 1.
2127.J TO WITHSTAND THE POWER OF SATAN. 443
he addresses himself to the concerns of his soul,
shall not see, that there is in him an impotence and
reluctance, for which he cannot account, unless he
acknowledge, what the Scripture so fully warns him
of, a satanic agency.
But shall we be intimidated by this account, and
induced to surrender ourselves to Satan without a
conflict ? No. Formidable as he is, there is ONE
above him, who circumscribes his powers, and limits
his operations. He did, by God's permission, " cast
some of the Ephesian church into prison, that they
might be tried, for ten days*'" but, if he could have
accomplished all that was in his heart, he would
have cast them all into hell that they might perish
for ever. So far from being irresistible, he may be
resisted, yea, and vanquished too, by the weakest of
God's saints.
To encourage you therefore to fight against him,
we will shew,
II. How we may effectually withstand him —
The Apostle renews, though with some variation,
the directions he gave before ; " not thinking it
grievous to himself to repeat any thing that may
conduce to our safety f." St. Peter also was "careful
to put Christians frequently in remembrance of many
things, notwithstanding they knew them, and were
established in the present truth g." Well therefore
may we call your attention once more to the exhor
tation in the text. Indeed, if the putting on the
whole armour of God was necessary to guard against
the wiles of the devil, it can be no less necessary as a
preservative against his power : and the exhortation
enforced by this nezv consideration, cannot reasonably
be thought an uninteresting repetition.
But we shall have no need to repeat any former
observations, seeing that what is new in the exhor
tation, will afford abundant matter for profitable, and
seasonable, remark.
« Rev. ii. 10. f Phil. iii. 1. s 2 Pet. i. 12.
411 EPHESIANS, VI. 12, 13. [2127.
The time mentioned in the text as "the evil day,"
refers to those particular periods when Satan makes
his most desperate attacks. Sometimes he retires
from us for a season, as he did from our Lordh ; or,
at least, gives us somewhat of a respite from any
violent assaults. But he watches his opportunity to
renew his efforts, when by bringing a host of devils
to his aid1, or finding us off our guard k, he may exert
his power to more effect. Such a season was that
wherein David complained, that " his enemies, com
passing him like bees, thrust sore at him that he
might fall1 :" and especially that wherein the Lord
Jesus Christ himself was so weakened by him, as to
need an angel from heaven to administer strength
and consolation™. All who know any thing of
" Satan's devices," must have noticed this in their
own experience : there have been times when the
enemy appeared unmindful of his work, and other
times when " he has come in like a flood ; so that if
the Spirit of the Lord had not lifted up a standard
against him"," he must have utterly overwhelmed
them. The hour of death is a season when he usu
ally puts forth all his power, " having great wrath
because his time is short0."
Now what shall we do in such seasons, if not clad
in the whole armour of God ? What hope can we
have of withstanding such an enemy ? If he should
find us unarmed, would he not sift us as wheat p, and
reduce us to mere chaff? Would he not scatter us
as smoke out of the chimney, or chaff driven by a
whirlwind q? Would he not precipitate thousands of
us, as he did the swine, into instantaneous destruc
tion1, and into the bottomless abyss of hell ?
But if we be armed with the divine panoply, we
need not fear ; he can have no power against us
any further than it is given him from above s : and,
" howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart
h Luke iv. 13. * Matt. xii. 44, 45. k 1 Pet. v. 8.
1 Ps. cxviii. 12, 13. m Luke xxii. 43, 53. n Isai. lix. 19.
0 Rev. xii. 12. P Luke xxii. 31. <J Hos. xiii. 3.
* Matt. viii. 31, 32. s John xix. 11.
2127.] T0 WITHSTAND THE POWER OF SATAN. 415
think soV' his efforts against us shall ultimately con
duce to our good, to make us more humble, more
vigilant, more expert.
This is particularly intimated in the text ; and in
this the encouragement given us exceeds what was
contained in the former exhortation. There we were
taught to expect that we should not be vanquished
by our subtle enemy : here we are encouraged with
an assurance, that we shall not only effectually with
stand his efforts, even when they are most desperate,
but shall " stand" as victors on the field of battle,
after having put our enemies to flight. To this also
agree the words of St. James ; " resist the devil, and
he shall flee from youu;" he shall not only not
overcome you, but shall be so intimidated by your
prowess as to flee from you with the greatest preci
pitation. Blessed truth ! This mighty fiend, who
dared to enter the lists with an archangel x, and to
contend even with the Son of God himself, shall be
so terrified at the sight of a Christian champion, as
not only to " forbear touching himy," but even to flee
from his presence as for his very life.
It is true, he will never finally give over the con
test, till we are got entirely beyond his reach : nor is
he at any time so vanquished or intimidated but that
he will number another host, like unto that which
has been defeated, and renew his attack upon usz :
but his malice shall terminate in his own confusion3:
he may succeed to bruise our heel, but we shall ulti
mately bruise his headb. " Our weapons, through
God, shall be mighty, though wielded by the feeblest
arm0." We shall "go on conquering and to con
quer d" till we set our feet upon his necke, and return
with triumphant exultation from the combat, saying,
" Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through
thy namef."
4 Isai. x. 5, 7. u Jam. iv. 7. x Jude, ver. 9.
y 1 John v. 18. * 1 Kings xx. 22—26. a 1 Kings xx. 27—29.
b Gen. iii. 15. c 2 Cor. x. 4. d Rev. vi. 2.
e Josh. x. 24. This was altogether typical of the Christian's vic
tories. f Luke x. 17.
446 EPHESIANS, VI. 12, 13, [2127.
Nor is this your greatest encouragement : for as
soon as you have " done all" that God has designed
for you in this state of warfare, you shall "stand"
before God,, united to that noble army that are now
enjoying their triumphs in his presence. Having
"fought the good fight and finished your course,
there shall be given to you a crown of righteousness"
and glory g ; and you shall bear the palm of victory
in the courts of heaven11. Then shall be fulfilled
to you what was spoken by our Lord, " To him that
overcometh will I give to sit down with me upon
my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set
down with my Father upon his throne1." Only "be
faithful unto death ; and God will give thee a crown
of life k."
Before we dismiss this subject, we would ADDRESS a
few words,
1. To those who have never yet wrestled with tills
great adversary —
We hope you are now convinced, that it is not a
needless labour to engage in this contest. But you
may still be induced to decline it, from the idea that
it is a hopeless work. But know this, that you have
undertaken a task which is infinitely more difficult
than this ; for, while you refuse to wrestle with
Satan, you are actually wrestling with God himself.
He who infallibly discerns, and rightly estimates,
your conduct, says, that ye "resist the Holy Ghost1"
and " contend with your Maker™ :" and, your own
consciences will inform you, that you have often
" fought against God," by resisting the influence of
his word and Spirit11. Suppose then ye gain the
victory (which is but too probable), suppose God give
up the contest, and say, " My Spirit shall strive with
him no longer0;" what will ye have to boast of?
what cause will ye have for joy ? Awful will be
s 2 Tim. iv. 7, 8. h Rev. vii. 9, 10. * Rev. iii. 21.
k Rev. ii. 10. latter part. l Acts vii. 51.
m Job xl. 2. » Acts v. '39. and xxiii. 9.
0 Gen. vi. 3.
TO WITHSTAND THE TOWER OF SATAN. 447
that day wherein God shall say, " Let him alone p :"
from that hour your condemnation will he sure, and
Satan will have perfectly gained his point. Judge
then whether it be not better to contend with Satan,
than with God ? with him whom you are sure to
conquer, to your eternal happiness, than with him,
by whose avenging arm you must be crushed for
ever'1? Consider well which of the two ye choose
for your enemy, God or Satan : and may God in
cline you to enlist under the Redeemer's banner, and
in his strength to combat all the enemies of your
salvation !
2. Let us speak to those who have begun the ar
duous contests
Be not afraid of your great adversary. Do not
be like the unbelieving Israelites, who, because the
Anakims were of such extraordinary stature, and
dwelt in cities that were walled up to heaven,
dreaded to go up against themr ; but rather say, with
Caleb, "They shall be bread for us8:" instead of
destroying, they shall be an occasion of good to, our
souls : their spoils shall enrich us ; and the oppo
sition that they make shall only be the means of
displaying more abundantly the love and faithfulness
of our God. " Take unto you" again and again " the
whole armour of God ;" and " fight, not as one that
beateth the air*," but as one that is determined to
conquer or die : and if at any time you be tempted
to give up the contest, think of " those who now
through faith and patience inherit the promises11."
Once they were conflicting like you ; but now they
rest from their labours, and are anxious spectators of
your conflicts x. It is but a little time, and you also
shall be numbered with them. " Greater is he that
is in you, than he that is in the world y." Only go
forth therefore in the name of Christ ; and his
triumphs shall be the pattern, the pledge, the earnest
of your own.
i} Hos. iv. 17. n Isai. xxvii. 4. r Numb. xiii. 28, 31, 33.
s Numb. xiii. 9, 30. * 1 Cor. ix. '26. « Hcb. vi. 12.
x Hcb. xii. 1. y 1 John iv. 4.
448 EPHESIANS, VI. 11 [2128.
MMCXXVIIL
THE CHRISTIAN S GIRDLE.
Eph. vi. 14. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about
with truth.
IT is not possible to exceed in magnifying the
grace of God : to it must every part of our salvation
be ascribed : grace begins the work in our hearts ;
grace carries it on ; grace completes it. No ground
of glorying is left for man : his own wisdom, good
ness, strength, weigh no more than the small dust
upon the balance. All is the work of God ; he lays
the foundation ; and when " the head-stone shall be
brought forth with shoutings, we must cry, Grace,
grace unto ita." But while we are jealous of God's
honour, and desirous of magnifying the riches of his
grace, we must be careful not to undervalue the work
wrought in our hearts. In point of merit, there is
nothing in us that is worthy of the smallest consi
deration : but in a variety of other views, the work
of God's Spirit in our hearts can scarcely be appre
ciated too highly. This is manifest from the de
scription which the Apostle gives of the Christian's
armour. He is careful in the first place to shew us,
that we have not in ourselves any inherent strength ;
and that, consequently, we must depend entirely on
God : but in entering more minutely into his subject,
he declares, that those graces, which the Spirit of
God forms in our hearts, are means of defence against
our spiritual adversaries : for though as being our
graces, they are weak and worthless, yet as being
the work of God's hands, they are of great strength
and value : they even constitute that armour, in
which we are to go forth against the enemies of our
salvation, and by which we shall be enabled to defeat
all their wiles, and all their power.
The first grace that he mentions, is " truth :" in
elucidating which we shall shew,
a Zech. iv. G, 7, (J.
2128.] THE CHRISTIAN'S GIRDLE. 449
I. What we are to understand by truth—
II. Its use and office in the Christian warfare—
I. What are we to understand by " truth ?"
It is a term of extensive signification. It is some
times put for the Gospel ; in which sense the Apostle
speaks of " obeying the truth." Bat in this place, it
rather means sincerity. The two terms are often
used together as synonymous expressions ; " Serve
the Lord," says Joshua in his farewell discourse, " in
sincerity and truth b :" and St. Paul exhorts us to
" keep the feast with the unleavened bread of sin
cerity and truth0."
But sincerity, Christian sincerity, is very little
understood. For the most part, it is considered as
importing nothing more than a good intention, with
out any reference to the manner in which that gjood
intention operates. But the sincerity, of which the
text speaks, is a Christian grace ; and consequently
it must include something widely different from that
which may be exercised by superstitious bigots d, or
blood-thirsty persecutors0.
To mark it as distinctly as possible, we shall notice
four things that are implied in it :
First, it implies a desire and intention to please God.
There is one canon, one universal rule of action, pre
scribed to us in the Scriptures ; namely, that "whether
we eat or drink, or whatever we do, we should do all
to the glory of Godf." Whatever therefore springs
from other motives and principles, must argue a
want of sincerity, in proportion as God's honour is
superseded by any selfish considerations. When
Jehu, in compliance with God's command, extirpated
the family of Ahabg, his obedience was not considered
as sincere, because he was actuated rather by vain
glory11, than by a real desire to please God ; and the
blood that he shed in executing the divine command,
b Josh. xxiv. 14. c 1 Cor. v. 8. d Rom. x. 2.
e John. xvi. 2. f 1 Cor. x. 31. e 2 Kings ix. (i, 7.
h 2 Kings x. 16.
VOL. XVII. (J G
150 EPHESIANS, VI. 14. [2128.
was on that very account avenged by God himself
upon his posterity1.
The Jews also complied with the institutions of
Moses in observing their religious fasts and feasts :
but because " they did fast and feast unto themselves
rather than unto God," and sought rather to cover
their own enormities by such observances, than really
to honour God, their services were deemed hypo
critical, and were rejected with abhorrence1". Thus
must all our duties, civil or religious, have respect
to God : we must have " a single eye," if we would
please him1. If we bring forth fruit to ourselves
only, " we are empty vines," we are unprofitable
servants"1.
Sincerity implies in the next place, a serving of
God according to the light we enjoy. Sincerity will
doubless consist with defective views both of Christian
duty, and Christian liberty : but it will not consist
with allowed deviations from an acknowledged duty,
either in a way of omission, or of commission. " The
wisdom that is from above, is without partiality, and
without hypocrisy11." To be "partial in the law" is
to dissemble with God : and whether we make out
ward duties a cloak for inward lusts, or present to
God a mere " form of godliness without the power of
it," we are really " hypocrites in heart0," and there
fore can have no pretensions to sincerity.
But there is yet a third thing, which is absolutely
essential to sincerity, namely, a desire to know the will
of God more perfectly. Here it is that many, who
have appeared most sincere, have failed. St. Paul
before his conversion " thought he ought to do many
things contrary to the name of Jesusp:" and truly he
did them with a zeal suited to his persuasion. But
can it be said, that at that time he possessed the
Christian virtue of sincerity ? By no means : for he
had opportunities enough of information : the writings
of Moses and the prophets were plain enough to
1 Hos. i. 4. k Zecli. vii. 5, 6. * Matt. vi. 22, 23.
m Hos. x. 1. n Jam. iii. 17.
0 Matt, xxiii. 23 — 28. and xv. 7, 8. P Acts xxvi. 9.
2128.] THE CHRISTIAN'S GIRDLE. 451
convince any man that was not blinded by prejudice,
and carried away by his own impetuous passions q.
Besides, he might have gone to the fountain head,
and inquired of Jesus himself, what grounds there
were for believing him to be the Messiah. Above
all, he lived when the Gospel was preached in all its
purity, and attested from heaven by miracles without
number. Why then did he not set himself to inquire
more candidly ? Why did he not, like the Beraeans,
search the Scriptures, to see if things were as the
Apostles declared them to ber? But this would not
agree with his infuriated zeal : he hated the light,
and therefore sought to the uttermost to extinguish
it. How different was the conduct of Nathanael !
He participated in the prejudices of his countrymen ;
and hastily concluded that " no good thing could
come out of Galilee." But when he was desired to
" come and see" for himself, he availed himself of
the opportunity to form his judgment on surer
grounds ; and, on the very first demonstration which
our Lord gave of his Messiahship, he believed in
Jesus ; and thereby evidenced his right to that title
which our Lord had given him, " an Israelite indeed,
in whom there is no guile8."
There is one thing more implied in sincerity,
namely, a determination to serve God without any
regard to consequences. Our duty to God is para
mount to every other consideration. When we know
what he requires of us, we are not to be diverted
from it by any losses or any sufferings. Who does
not see the insincerity of those who believed in
Christ, but were afraid to confess him*; and of that
amiable youth who turned back from Christ rather
than part with his possessions11? If we be truly
upright in heart, we shall say as St. Paul when he
was solicited to shun the trials and afflictions which,
as the Spirit testified, awaited him in every city ; " I
am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at
Jerusalem for the name of the Lord JesusV And if
q Luke xvi. 31. r Acts xvii. 11. s John i. 45 — -19.
1 John xii. 42, 43. u Mark x. 21, 22. x Acts xxi. 13.
452 EPHESIANS, VI. 14. [2128.
the trials be ever so severe, we shall still " hold fast
our integrity7/' and adopt the language of the same
Apostle ; " None of these things move me, neither
count I my life dear unto myself, so that I may
finish my course with joy, and fulfil my duty to my
Godz."
This representation of " truth" is both illustrated
and confirmed by the conduct of St. Paul on his first
conversion to God. Till that hour, he had been
walking blindly " after the course of this world," and
" in the way of his own heart :" but as soon as his
eyes were opened, even before he had any clear
knowledge of Christianity, he desired to know, and
determined to execute, the whole will of God :
"Lord, what wilt thou have me to doa?" "Thou
needest only to shew me wherein I am wrong, and to
teach me thy way, and I will instantly, through thy
assistance, change my conduct, and devote myself to
thy service : nor shall any considerations of hope or
fear, ever turn me from the path prescribed by thee.'
Nor was this a vain boast ; for " he conferred not
with flesh and blood," but set himself without delay
to " preach the faith which he had laboured to
destroyV' and persisted in preaching it even unto
death.
The nature of "truth" being thus ascertained, let
us proceed to shew,
II. Its use and office in the Christian warfare —
Among the various parts of a soldier's armour, a
"girdle "was of very principal importance; and in
this view it is frequently mentioned in the Holy
Scriptures. The prophet, describing the irresistible
fury with which the Chaldeans should overrun Pales
tine, says, none shall be weary or stumble among
them, none shall slumber nor sleep ; neither shall
the girdle of their loins be loosed0." And our blessed
Lord, who, as the Captain of our salvation, was
Job xxvii. 5, 6. z Acts xx. 24. a Acts ix. 6.
Gal. i. 15, 10, 23. c Isai. v. 27.
2128.] THE CHRISTIAN'S GIRDLE. 453
arrayed like all the soldiers of his army, is repre
sented by the same prophet as habited in this man
ner ; " Righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins,
and faithfulness the girdle of his reins*"
The use of the girdle was to keep the armour com
pact, and to strengthen the loins. And these are
the offices which "truth" performs for the Christian
soldier.
In the first place, it compacts all the graces with
which his soul is armed. As the different parts of
armour with which the body is fortified, would hang
loose, and leave many apertures through which a
wound might be inflicted, if they were not fastened
together by a belt or girdle, so would the Christian's
graces prove insufficient for his defence, if they were
not all compacted together by the girdle of sincerity.
Let us look at persons that seemed armed from
head to foot, and prepared to defy all the powers of
darkness. See Johanan, and the remnant of the
Jews whom the Chaldeans had not taken into cap
tivity, coming to the prophet, entreating him to ask
counsel for them from God ; and vowing in the most
solemn manner to comply with any direction which
the Lord should give them by his mouth. We have
not a more hopeful appearance in all the sacred
records. But they dissembled with God : no sooner
was the answer given them, than they shewed by their
conduct, that they were not sincere in their overtures;
and they speedily became the victims of their own
hypocrisy6. And how often are similar failures found
amongst ourselves, from the very same cause ! How
many appear penitent and determined to serve their
God, while they are under some heavy calamity, or
in the near prospect of death ; and yet discover their
hypocrisy, as soon as ever their professions are
brought to the test ! Yet daily is that account of
the Jews realized amongst ourselves ; " When he
slew them, then they sought him, and inquired early
after God, and remembered that God was their
d Isai. xi. 5. * Jer. xlii. 1—6, 19—22.
1.34 EPHESIANS, VI. 14. [2128.
Rock, the high God their Redeemer ; nevertheless
they did but flatter him with their mouth, and lie
unto him with their tongues ; for their heart was
not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his
covenant f."
On the other hand, how impenetrable to the darts
of the adversary were the graces of those who were
sincere before God ! Daniel not only would not
relinquish, but would not so much as abate, or con
ceal, his devotions, though menaced with a cruel
and speedy death g. Nor would the Hebrew Youths
comply with the edict of a haughty monarch, though
they saw a furnace heated for their destruction, and
might have pleaded in their defence the example of a
whole nation11. Thus shall we also be enabled to
brave every danger, and to endure death in its most
awful forms, if our hearts be upright before God. As
all our graces will be compacted together by sincerity,
so every distinct grace will derive from it tenfold
solidity, and strength : let our "faith be unfeigned/'
our " love without dissimulation," and our " spirit
altogether without guile," and we need fear no assaults,
however artful, however violent.
The o^er office of truth is, to strengthen our souls
under great and long-continued conflicts. This parti
cular use of the girdle is repeatedly mentioned by the
Psalmist. In reference to himself, he says, " Thou
hast girded me with strength unto the battle1." In
O *^
reference to the Messiah also he uses a similar expres
sion : " The Lord reigneth ; he is clothed with ma
jesty ; the Lord is clothed with strength, wherewith
he hath girded himself*."
" Those who have a divided heart, will assuredly
be found faulty at the last1." Numberless are the
instances wherein persons who have fought well for
a season, have fainted at last through this sad defect.
But we will mention only two ; one, wherein the
failure had nearly terminated in the destruction of
many ; and the other, wherein it involved one of the
f Ps. Ixxviii. 34—37. g Dan. vi. 10. h Dan. iii. 17, 18.
' Ps. xviii. 39. k Ps. xciii. 1. ' Hos. x. 2.
2128.] THE CHRISTIAN'S GIRDLE. 455
most eminent professors in utter and everlasting ruin.
For the former instance we will refer you,, not to a
man professedly ungodly, no, nor to a mere novice in
religion, but to the most distinguished of all the
Apostles. With the name of Peter we associate the
idea of courage undaunted, and of piety irreproach
able. But behold him on one occasion, when his
loins were loosed, and the girdle was wanting to
complete his armour. This valiant hero, who had
acquitted himself so nobly in many battles, was at
last, through fear of offending the Judaizing Chris
tians, guilty of the basest dissimulation ; undermining
by his influence the most essential doctrine of that
Gospel which he was sent to preach ; and, by his
example, drawing Barnabas also, and a multitude of
others, into the most fatal error. And, if St. Paul
had not openly rebuked him before all the Church,
and thereby counteracted the effect of his misconduct,
it is not possible to say, how far his error might have
affected the eternal interests of millions™.
In the other instance, we must turn our eyes to
one, whose eminence drew from St. Paul himself
repeated commendations, even such as were bestowed
on the Evangelist, St. Luke. After years of manly
toil, and continued danger, Demas was left to prove
how weak the strongest are without sincerity. Wearied
with his conflicts, he sought repose in the bosom of
the world"; when, if he had fought with more since
rity, he might have endured to the end, and triumphed
over all his adversaries. Unhappy man, to retain one
secret lust, which, like a canker, ate out his vitals,
or, like a leak unnoticed, sank the vessel wherein he
was embarked ! But thus it will be with all whose
loins are not girt about with truth : " a double-
minded man will be unstable in all his ways0."
But if we have melancholy instances of failure
through the want of this virtue, we have many noble
m Gal. ii. 11 — 14. " to be blamed — dissembled — dissimulation —
walked not uprightly.'"
n Compare Col. iv. 14. and Philem. ver. 24. with 2 Tim. iv. 10.
0 Jam. i. 8.
456 EPHESIANS, VI. H. [2128.
instances of persevering zeal in others, whose hearts
were right with God. Behold the patriarchs sojourn
ing for years in a strange land, when "they had
opportunities enough of returning to their native
country," if they had been so minded : but they were
sincere in " seeking a better country, that is, an
heavenly ;" and therefore they willingly lived as
"strangers and pilgrims on the earth p." Behold also
the noble army of martyrs, who " out of weakness
were make strong, waxed valiant in fight, and turned
to flight the armies of the aliens ;" yea, and women
also, who, notwithstanding their natural weakness
and timidity, would " not accept deliverance from
their tortures, that they might obtain a better resur
rection q. Indeed, where is there one who is truly
upright before God, who has not frequently evinced
a strength and steadfastness superior to the efforts of
unassisted nature ? Who has not been called to
make many sacrifices of pleasure, honour, interest ;
and to lead a life of continual self-denial, both in the
mortifying of inward lusts, and the enduring of out
ward persecutions ? But, " having set his hand to
the plough, the Christian will not look back," and
having put on his armour, he will not put it off but
with his life.
The vast importance of truth and sincerity being
made apparent, let the following ADVICE be duly
weighed :
1. Let us inquire whether we possess this part of
Christian armour—
Perhaps there is scarcely any one who does not
fancy himself sincere. But can we appeal to God
that our daily aim is to please him, yea, to please
him, not only in preference to ourselves or others,
but in direct opposition to the whole world ? Do we
labour to approve ourselves to him, forbearing every
sinful thing, and doing every thing we know to be
right ? Do we search the Scriptures daily, and attend
i> Hcb. xi. 1"), 10. 'i Jleb. xi. 31. 35.
2128.] THE CHRISTIAN'S GIRDLE. 457
on the ministration of God's word, on purpose that
we may have our sentiments and conduct more en
tirely conformed to the will of God ? And finally,
do we disregard the scoffs of an ungodly world, and
determine to sacrifice even life itself, rather than
violate the dictates of our conscience 1 This is sin
cerity, this is truth. Doubtless there are infirmities
in the best of men ; and consequently there will be
occasional deviations from the path of duty : but if
we be sincere, we shall not allow any sin whatever:
we shall endeavour to be " pure as God is pure, and
perfect as God is perfect." O that there were in all
of us such a heart as this !
2. Let us be on our guard against those devices,
whereby Satan would weaken our sincerity, or rob
us of the comfort of it —
Satan will put forth all his wiles, and exert all his
power, to loosen this girdle. He well knows, that,
if he succeed in this point, all the rest will be easy :
but that till this be effected, we are invulnerable.
He will therefore try on all occasions to get advan
tage against us. He will cover his endeavours with
the most specious pretexts, and present his tempta
tions in the most alluring shapes. But let us watch
against him : let not the example of an Apostle, or
the preaching of an angelr, lead us to renounce one
single truth, or to transgress one single precept. If
we be not continually on our guard, that " serpent
will beguile us :" yea, in spite of all our watchfulness
will he deceive us, if we be not preserved by God
himself. Let us therefore " watch and pray, that we
enter not into temptation."
But, if Satan cannot entice us to lay aside our
girdle, he will endeavour to deprive us of the com
fort of it. He will take occasion from our remaining
infirmities to make us think ourselves hypocrites :
and thus he will seek to effect that through de
spondency, which he could not effect through any
other temptations. Let it then be our daily care so
r Gal. i. 8, 9.
458 EPHESIANS, VI. 14. [2129.
to fasten this girdle round our loins, that we may
have in ourselves, and give to all around us, an indis
putable evidence that we both possess and improve
it. Then shall we have a consolation arising from it,
and " rejoice in the testimony of our conscience, that
in simplicity and godly sincerity we have our conver
sation in the world8."
Lastly, let us " stand" thus armed, and be in con
stant readiness to oppose our enemy. Let us not
fear him, but resist him manfully. If we fight, we
have nothing to fear : it is only when we turn our
back, that we are left exposed to any mortal injury :
in every other part we are armed sufficiently for our
defence. Let us then beg of God to " put truth
in our inward parts1." Let us ee add to our faith
virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness,
brotherly-kindness and charity, and keep them all
compact with the girdle of truth ; then have we
God's promise, that we shall never fall11." Through
his grace, our " integrity and uprightness shall pre
serve usx." Let us therefore "gird up the loins of
our mind, and be sober, and hope to the endy." Only
let us " be sincere ; and we shall be without offence
till the day of Christ2."
" 2 Cor. i. 12. t ps. n. 6. u 2 Pet. i. 5—8, 10.
x Ps. xxv. 21. y 1 Pet. i. 13. z Phil. i. 10.
MMCXXIX.
THE CHRISTIAN'S BREAST-PLATE.
Eph. vi. 14. Stand having on the breast-plate of
righteousness.
AS various parts of armour, however differing
in shape, may be formed of the same materials, so
amongst the Christian graces, there may exist a con
siderable resemblance, while yet there remains be
tween them a manifest distinction. Righteousness
is that particular grace which comes under our con
sideration at this time. By " righteousness " we
understand, that true and universal holiness, which
is characteristic of conversion, and constitutes that
2129.] THE CHRISTIAN'S BREAST-PLATE. 459
divine image, after which we are renewed*. Now
this, though nearly allied to sincerity, differs mate
rially from it : sincerity relates to the aims and
motives of a person ; but righteousness to his actions
and habits. Righteousness is that in actual attain
ment, which sincerity is in desire and purpose.
Righteousness cannot exist without sincerity ; but
sincerity may, and often does, exist without righte
ousness ; because (as was shewn in the preceding
discourse) it may be found in blind zealots, and
bloody persecutors.
The piece of armour to which righteousness is
compared, is " the breast-plate ;" which was of use to
defend the vitals from the assaults of an enemy. Of
such importance was it to every one in the time of
battle, that all, from the general to the soldier, were
clad with it : nor can its importance to us more
strongly appear, than from the consideration, that
the Captain of our salvation, even the Lord Jesus
Christ himself, was thus arrayed. The Prophet
Isaiah, speaking expressly of him, says, " He put on
righteousness as a breast-plate V
In the metaphor before us, the Apostle intimates,
that without righteousness we should be exposed to
imminent peril, yea, to certain death : but that, if
we be clad with righteousness, our adversaries will
never be able to prevail against us. It is evident
therefore that there are two points to be considered
by us ; namely, the necessity of righteousness for our
defence, and its sufficiency to protect us :
I. The necessity of righteousness —
In order to destroy us, our great adversary uses
both deceit and violence ; against both of which it
becomes us to be armed, in order that we may dis
cover the one, and repel the other.
Righteousness then is necessary in the first place,
that we may discover his wiles.
It is said with truth by an inspired writer, that
" the god of this world blinds the eyes of them that
a Eph. iv. 23, '24. b Isai. lix. 17.
460 EPHESIANS, VI. 14. [2129.
believe notc :" and it is astonishing to what a degree
he deludes their souls. He instigates them to the
commission of sin under the idea that it is at least
excusable, if not altogether justifiable and right d.
He teaches them to " call evil good and good evil ;
to put darkness for light, and light for darkness, bit
ter for sweet, and sweet for bitter6." We may see
one man carried on by ostentation and vanity, while
he thinks himself actuated by zeal for Godf. Another
yields to a vindictive spirit, yet supposes that he is
only maintaining a just regard for his own charac
ter, or perhaps for the rights of the community g.
Through the agency of that subtle fiend, covetous-
ness assumes the name of prudence h ; prodigality is
nothing but a commendable excess of generosity :
yea, the most cruel machinations of bigotry, are
deemed a service well-pleasing to God1. Who has
not noticed in others this sad infatuation ? Who has
not seen his neighbours acting under the influence of
a bad principle, while they were at the same time as
strongly persuaded that they were right, as if there
were no room for doubt ? Thus it is more or less
with every unrenewed person ; and too often with
those also who are yet weak in the faith ; they go
on, " not knowing what spirit they are of." In vain
do ministers set forth the evil of such a state : in vain
do they discriminate, and mark the difference between
truth and error : in vain do they endeavour to per
suade men in private, as well as in their public minis
trations : in vain do they confirm every word with the
infallible dictates of inspiration : for while men con
tinue destitute of righteousness, " they have eyes, and
see not, ears, and hear not, neither do they under
stand1"." Nothing will effectually shew men their error,
till they are " renewed in the spirit of their minds."
Then they have the film removed from the organs of
vision. Then they have a spiritual discernment1 :
c 2 Cor. iv. 4. d 1 Chron. xxi. 1 — 4. e Isai. v. 20.
f 2 Kings x. 16. e Luke ix. 53—55. h Luke xii. 13—15.
1 John xvL 2. k John viii. 43.
1 Eph. i. 17, 18. Col. i. 9.
2129.] THE CHRISTIAN'S BREAST-PLATE. 461
they are no longer deceived by specious appear
ances ; they taste and see the real qualities of things:
being "brought out of darkness into marvellous
light," they view every thing, in a measure, as God
himself views it : and the greater their proficiency is
in the divine life, the clearer is their perception of
the good or evil that exists111, not in their actions
only, but in their motives and principles of action.
And hence it is that the Apostle exhorts us to " be
transformed in the renewing of our minds, that we
may prove (and discern, not by theory only, but by
actual experiment) what is that good, and acceptable,
and perfect will of God11."
Righteousness is further necessary, that we may
repel the assaults of our enemy.
Sin not only blinds, but debilitates the soul. It is
scarcely to be conceived how impotent the natural
man is to resist the temptations of Satan. For the
most part he makes no resistance at all, but follows
the dictates of his imperious master, and yields a
willing obedience to his most fatal suggestions. To
the ungodly Jews our Lord justly observed, "Ye are
of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father
ye will do0." Sometimes conscience will make a
stand against the wicked one ; but it is soon over
powered, and either bribed into consent, or stunned
to silence, or forced, in spite of all its efforts, to give
way. It may cause one to tremblep; another to
reform in many thingsq ; another to become almost
a Christian1"; another to make a profession of reli
gion, and openly to join himself to the Church of
Christ8 : but Satan has nothing to fear from its exer
tions, unless it stimulate a man to seek a thorough
change of heart : he laughs at the fears of Felix,
the reformation of Herod, the acknowledgments of
Agrippa, and the professions of Simon Magus : he
m Heb. v. 13, 14.
n Rom. xii. 2. Eig TO coxtpd^eiv refers to the discerning of the
qualities of metals by the furnace. See also Phil. i. 9, 1 0. where the
same word is connected with ra cia^tpovra, things that differ.
0 John viii. 44. P Acts xxiv. 25. <i Mark vi. 20.
r Acts xxvi. 28. s Acts viii. 13.
462 EPHESIANS, VI. 14. [2129.
well knows that, as long as they are unrenewed, they
are fast in his chains, and incapable of any effectual
exertion : " Ephraim, though armed, and carrying
bows, were so enfeebled by sin, that they turned
back in the day of battle :" nor could Israel stand
before their enemies while an Achan was in their
camp*. So neither can he resist Satan, who yields
in any thing to the dominion of sin. If once we
" put away a good conscience, we shall speedily make
shipwreck of our faith" also". But let once the
tamest of his vassals feel the influence of divine
grace, and instantly he casts off the yoke under which
he had groaned, and asserts his liberty. From that
moment Satan is constrained to yield to that
" stronger power that is come against himx," and to
relinquish the prey which he can no longer retain7.
The necessity of righteousness being thus esta
blished, let us proceed to consider,
II. Its sufficiency—
The Apostle would not have been so urgent in
exhorting us to put on the breast-plate of righteous
ness, if he had not believed that it would answer all
the purposes for which it was designed. That it will
protect us, we are well assured : that it will secure
to us the victory, there can be no doubt : for it will
turn depravity to sanctity, cowardice to courage, and
weakness to strength.
First, it turns depravity to sanctity. It is by our
inward corruptions that Satan works. He cannot
force us to commit sin : he can only present to us
such temptations as are suited to our natural de
sires ; and suggest such considerations to our minds,
as are likely to procure our compliance with his will.
When he came to assault our Lord, he could not
prevail; because "he found nothing in him2," that
in the smallest degree closed with his suggestions.
But when he comes to us, he finds in us a predis
position to receive him. If he assault our heart,
there are many secret lusts that are ready to betray
t Ps. Ixxviii. 9, 10. .Tosh. vii. 8, 12, 21, 26. u 1 Tim. i. 19.
x Luke xi. 21, 22. y Tsai. xlix. 2">. * John xiv. .30.
2129.] THE CHRISTIAN'S BREAST-PLATE. 4-63
us into his hands : he has but to strike a spark, and
there is within us combustible matter in abundance,
that instantly catches fire, and that, if not extin
guished by grace, will burn to the lowest hell. But
when the soul is endued with righteousness, its dis
positions are altogether changed : " old things are
passed away, and all things are become newa." We
say not indeed that there are no remains of corrup
tion in the soul ; for the old nature still continues,
and counteracts in a measure the operations of the
new nature : but if "the flesh lusts against the spirit,
the spirit also lusts against the flesh, and gains (not
indeed without many conflicts) an ascendant over
itb:" and hence the temptations, which would once
have been irresistible, are repelled with indignant
firmness ; as we see in Joseph, who, when repeatedly
solicited to commit adultery, replied with horror,
" How shall I do this great wickedness, and sin
against Godc?"
This then is one way in which righteousness de
fends the soul : it makes " sin appear exceeding
sinful d;" and holiness to be esteemed as the perfec
tion of bliss6: and thus, by weakening the force of
temptation, it enables us with success to resist the
tempter.
In the next place, it turns cowardice into courage.
Satan gets peculiar advantage over men by means of
their carnal fears. In whatever degree men are
endued with natural fortitude, their courage fails
them when they are called to bear the cross of
Christ. When our blessed Lord ministered on
earth, Nicodernus, though a ruler and governor, was
afraid to come in open day, lest he should be thought
to favour his cause1": nor did "the Pharisees who
believed in him, dare to confess him, because they
loved the praise of men more than the praise of
God*." In instances without number have men who
were able to brave death itself on the field of battle,
a 2 Cor. v. 17. b Gal. v. 17. c Gen. xxxix. 9.
d Rom. vii. 13. e Ps. cxix. 128. f John iii. 1, 2.
e John xii. 42, 43.
464 EPHESIANS, VI. 14. [2129.
shewn themselves unable to endure the scorn and
contempt that universally attach to religious charac
ters : so true is that declaration of Solomon, " The
fear of man bringeth a snare11." But righteousness
emboldens the soul ; and enables it to meet the
hatred and menaces,, or (what is still worse) the
sneers and ridicule, of an ungodly world with a holy
indifference ; yea, it causes the soul to rejoice in
these things as tokens for good1, and as testimonies
of the Divine favourk. Behold the astonishing change
that was wrought on Peter! When he had incon
siderately laid aside his armour, he was intimidated
by the voice of a maid-servant, and induced to deny
his Lord with oaths and curses. But when he had
put on his breast-plate, he was undismayed in the
presence of the whole council of the Jews : he boldly
charged upon the rulers that were before him, the
guilt of murdering their Messiah : and when they
endeavoured to silence him with threats, he un
dauntedly replied, " Whether it be right to hearken
unto you more than unto God, judge ye : for we
cannot but speak the things which we have seen and
heard1." Such was the courage also of the Hebrew
Youths, who, unawed by the fiery furnace, and un
moved by the example of a whole nation, disdained
to comply with the royal edict ; and resolutely ex
posed themselves to a cruel death, rather than violate
the dictates of their conscience111.
Thus wherever the soul is clad with righteousness,
it is emboldened both to do and suffer the will of
God : and, consequently, Satan's engine of per
secution, whereby he has destroyed myriads, being
divested of its power to intimidate the righteous, his
dominion over them must for ever cease.
Lastly, righteousness will turn our weakness to
strength. The powers of man, independent of divine
grace, remain the same after conversion as before :
of himself he can do nothing11. But that divine
h Prov. xxix. 25. * Luke xxi. 12, 13.
k Phil. i. 29. and 1 Pet, iv. 14. and Acts v. 41.
1 Acts iv. 18 — 20. m Dan. iii. 18. » John xv. 5.
2129.] THE CHRISTIAN'S BREAST-PLATE. 465
principle which actuates the godly, is mighty in
operation : however numerous or powerful their
enemies may be, the "grace of Christ is sufficient
for them0;" and the weakest in the universe may
say, " Through Christ strengthening me I can do all
things p." Their inherent weakness does not at all
militate against this assertion ; for, when they are
weakest in themselves their strength is at the height:
and when they Icok unto their Lord for help, " he
will perfect his strength in their weakness q." Survey
for a moment the Christian's conquests : his lusts are
subdued, condemned, crucified1 : the world is over
come, and put under his feet8: the powers of darkness
are put to flight* : and he is triumphing daily in the
God of his salvation11: so "strengthened is he with
might in his inward manx," and so "mighty are his
weapons to destroy the strong holds of sin and Satan,
and to bring every thought into captivity to the obe
dience of Christy."
What shall we now say to you who are destitute of
this armour ? Shall we congratulate you on your
prospects of victory ? Shall we even flatter you with
hopes of escaping with life ? We cannot ; we dare
not. There is a possibility, that you might vanquish
an armed host with a broken pitcher2 ; or make the
walls of an impregnable fortress to fall with the
sound of rams' horns a : but to succeed without
righteousness in your spiritual warfare is impossible :
for the truth of God is pledged that you shall perish,
if you continue in your unrighteous state b. "Awake
then to righteousness, and sin notc." Let your
earnest prayer ascend up before God, that you may
be made new creatures in Christ Jesus d, and be
turned effectually from the power of Satan unto
Gode. But do not mistake : do not imagine, that
2 Cor. xii. 9. P Phil. iv. 13. <i See Heb. v. 13, 14.
Gal. v. 24. » 1 John v. 4, 5. Gal. vi. 14.
Jam. iv. 7. u 2 Cor. ii. 14.
Eph. iii. 16. Ps. cxxxviii. 3. y 2 Cor. x. 4, 5.
Judg. vii. 19 — 22. a Josh. vi. 4, 5, 20. b 1 Cor. vi. 9.
1 Cor. xv. 34. d Eph. ii. 10. e Acts xxvi. 18.
VOL. XVII. II H
466 EPHESIANS, VI. 14. [2129.
any righteousness which you can attain in your own
strength, will thus protect you ; or that even that
which is wrought in you by the Holy Spirit, has in
itself such mighty efficacy : that to which such glori
ous powers are ascribed, is wrought in you by the
Spirit of God : and after all, it is not your inherent
goodness, but the grace of God, that must preserve
you from your enemies. Your inherent righteousness
will indeed be made use of by him ; but still God
must be acknowledged as the only Author of all that
is done either in, or by you ; and the glory must be
given to him alone.
To you who have " the armour of righteousness on
the right hand and on the left f," we say, " Stand fast
in the Lords." Let nothing prevail upon you to lay
aside your breast-plate for one moment : the instant
you part with it, you are shorn of your strength, and
are become weak as other menh. " Hold fast then
that ye have, that no man take your crown1." Thus
shall your subtle adversary be foiled in all his attacks :
he shall never be able to inflict on you any deadly
wound. " Then shall you not be ashamed, when
you have respect unto all God's commandments k."
As "the righteousness of Christ sustained him1"
amidst the fiercest assaults of his enemies, so shall
you be preserved whilst fighting under his banners,
and following his commands. His express promise
to you is, " He that walketh uprightly, and worketh
righteousness, shall never be moved m." And again,
" The Lord God is a sun and a shield ; he will give
grace and glory ; and no good thing will he withhold
from them that walk uprightly11."
f 2 Cor. vi. 7. « Phil, iv. 1. h Judg. xvi. 19, 20.
1 Rev. iii. 11. k Ps. cxix. 6. * Isai. lix. 16.
m Ps. xv. 2,5. n Ps. Ixxxiv, 11.
2130.] THE CHRISTIAN'S GREAVES. 467
MMCXXX.
THE CHRISTIAN'S GREAVES.
Eph. vi. 14, 15. Stand . . . having . . . your feet shod with the
preparation of the Gospel of peace.
THERE are many things which the art of war
has rendered necessary for the success of an army,
besides those rude weapons which an untaught savage
would employ : and though they may be of inferior
and subordinate use,, still the want of them may prove
as fatal as the want of things that are of primary im
portance. It would have been to little purpose, in
some situations, for soldiers to have their vital parts
covered with armour, if they had not also shoes, or
greaves, to protect their legs and feet against the
sharp stakes, that were fixed in the ground to obstruct
their progress. That this was a part of armour in
the days of old, the sacred history informs us. Goliath
had " greaves of brass upon his legs, as well as a
target of brass between his shoulders3." And, when
the irresistible success of the Chaldeans was foretold,
it was particularly said, that " the lachet of their
shoes should not be broken V In reference to this
part of a soldier's accoutrements, the Apostle ex
horts us to have our feet guarded; and intimates,
that as the military shoes gave to him who wore
them a readiness to march over any obstacles that
might lie in his way, so " the Gospel of peace " gives
to the Christian soldier a " preparation," or readiness,
to prosecute his warfare without halting. This it
does,
I. As bringing peace into the conscience ; and
II. As producing a peaceful disposition in the
soul.
I. The Gospel of peace gives us a readiness to march,
in that it brings peace into the conscience —
The Gospel is the one source of peace to sinful
man. If he obtain peace from any other source, he
a 1 Sam. xvii. 6. b Isai. v. 27.
II ii 2
468 EPHESIANS, VI. 14, 15. [2130.
" heals his wounds slightly, and says, Peace, peace,
when there is no peace0." It is in the Gospel only
that a Saviour is revealed. But there we are in
formed, that God's only dear Son became our surety,
and our substitute. There we behold our adorable
Emmanuel bearing our sins in his own sacred body
upon the tree, and effecting by the blood of his cross
our reconciliation with God. Through him peace is
proclaimed to a guilty worldd: and all who receive
into their hearts the record concerning him, have
their iniquities blotted out as a morning cloud :
their burthens are from that time removed ; they
have " beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning,
the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness6.
Without a measure of this peace, a person finds
but little ability to exert himself in his Christian
calling. The more difficult duties will be considered
as irksome, and impracticable. And this arises from
the natural constitution of the human mind: for,
what readiness can he have to forego the pleasures of
time, who cannot look forward with a comfortable
hope to the eternal world ? Will not his " hands
hang down, his knees be feeble, and his heart be
faint?" Yea, will not Satan take advantage of his
weak state to make him weary of well-doing ; and to
"turn him utterly out of the wayf;" and to make
him say in despondency, " There is no hope : I have
loved idols ; and after them will I gog?" To what a
degree the boldest champion may be enervated by
apprehensions of God's displeasure, we may see in
the conduct of Joshua. There was but one found
in all the thousands of Israel so intrepid as he : yet
when he had reason to think that God had withdrawn
his favour from him, " he rent his clothes, and fell
to the earth upon his face before the ark, and put
dust upon his head, and said, Alas, O Lord God,
wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over
Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites
c Jer. vi. 14. d Acts x. 36. c Isai. Ixi. 3.
f Heb. xii. 12, 13. « Jcr. ii. 25.
2130.] THE CHRISTIAN'S GREAVES. 469
to destroy us ? Would to God we had been con
tent, and dwelt on the other side of Jordan h. Thus
will " our spirit fail," and our progress be stopped, if
"the peace of God keep not our hearts and minds1."
But let " the love of God be shed abroad in the
heart," and instantly " the rough places become
plain, and the crooked, straight11 :" the " paths of
religion become paths of pleasantness and peace."
The most self-denying precepts are not then regarded
as " hard sayings1;" " nor are any of the command
ments grievous m." And though affliction cannot, in
itself, be joyous, yet, as endured for the sake of
Christ, it becomes a ground of joy : " having peace
with God," says the Apostle, " we glory in tribula
tions also11."
Let us look into the Scriptures and see how prompt
for obedience the saints were made by a sense of
God's pardoning love. No sooner had a live coal
from off the altar been applied to the lips of the Pro
phet Isaiah, in token of his acceptance with God,
than he was willing, yea desirous, to undertake the
most difficult and self-denying services °. The Thes-
salonian converts were inferior to none in their
attachment to Christ ; and, if we inquire what was
the source of their distinguished zeal, we shall find
that " the Gospel had come to them, not in word
only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in
much assurance ;" and from that moment they be
came the most eminent followers of Christ, and his
Apostle p. It was no easy service which Mary Mag
dalen performed in washing the Saviour's feet with
her tears ; especially in the presence of such a com
pany : yet, " much having been forgiven her, she
loved much ;" and therefore testified her love in the
best manner she was able, notwithstanding she was
likely to meet with nothing but derision and con
tempt from the proud Pharisee, in whose house she
wasq. But on this subject we naturally turn our
h Josh. vii. 6, 7. * Isai. Ivii. 16. k Isai. xl. 4.
1 John vi. 60. m 1 John v. 3. n Rom. v. 1 — 3.
0 Isai. vi. (3 — 8. i> 1 Thess. i. 5 — 7. (i Luke vii. 44 — 47.
470 EPHESIANS, VI. 14, 15. [2130.
eyes to the Apostle Paul, who " laboured more abun
dantly than all the Apostles V What the main-spring
was of his activity, we are at no loss to determine :
it was " the love of Christ that constrained him :" he
had been redeemed from death by the death of Christ ;
and therefore to Christ he consecrated all his time,
and all his powers8.
A readiness for suffering also arises from the same
source. The " peace" which Moses enjoyed "through
believing," rendered him so superior to all the plea
sures of sense, that "he esteemed the reproach of
Christ greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt;
and chose rather to suffer affliction with the people
of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a sea
son1." St. Paul is yet a more illustrious example, as
indeed might well be expected, considering how ex
ceeding abundant had been the mercy shewn towards
him11." He had already endured far more than any
other Apostle for the sake of Christ ; yet when the
Spirit testified that bonds and afflictions still awaited
him where he was going, and the Christians besought
him not to proceed on his intended journey to Jeru
salem ; he replied, " What mean ye to weep and to
break my heart ? for I am willing not only to be
bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the
Lord Jesus x." And is it not thus also with ourselves ?
If our souls be animated with faith and love, we shall
" count it all joy when we fall into divers tempta
tions^" yea, we shall" rejoice that we are counted
worthy to suffer shame for the sake of Christ2:" and
the very things which were intended by our enemies
for the destruction of the spiritual life, will tend rather
to its furtherance and establishment a.
The same preparation for prosecuting our warfare
is imparted to us by the Gospel,
II. In that it produces a peaceful disposition in the
soul —
r 1 Cor. xv. 10. s 2 Cor. v. 14, 15. t Heb. xi. 24—26.
u 1 Tim. i. 14. x Acts xxi. 13. y Jam. i. 2.
K Acts v. 41. » Phil. i. 12.
2130.1 THE CHRISTIAN'S GREAVES. 471
The soul of man is naturally proud, irritable,, vin
dictive b. An injurious act, or an insulting word, is
sufficient to call forth all our angry passions, and, in
many instances, creates within us a resentment, that
can be pacified with nothing less than the blood of
the delinquent. Behold David, when Nabal refused
to administer to his wants ! This one act of churlish
ingratitude must be expiated by the life of the of
fender, and not of the offender only, but of all the
males belonging to him ; and David himself goes
forth to execute the murderous sentence0. What an
awful picture of human nature does this exhibit !
But the Gospel lays the axe to this " root of bitter
ness," and, by shewing us how much we have been
forgiven, inclines us to exercise forgiveness. It
teaches us to " turn the left cheek to him who has
smitten us on the right d :" and "in no wise to render
evil for evil6." It enjoins us rather to love our ene
mies ; and, instead of retaliating their injuries, to
relieve their wants f.
Without this disposition we are but ill prepared to
surmount the obstacles which our subtle adversary
will place in our way. The scorn and contempt that
we shall meet with, will dismay us. Our feelings
will be wounded every step we take : and we shall
soon be wreary of well-doing. In order to judge of
the consequences that will ensue, if we be destitute
of this part of Christian armour, let us only look at
the most eminent saints, when, through haste and
inadvertence, they had neglected to fasten on their
greaves aright : Moses, the meekest of mankind,
was inflamed with wrath ; and, by his angry, unad
vised words, provoked God to exclude him from the
earthly Canaan g. Peter, when he beheld his Lord
apprehended in the garden, began to fight after the
manner of ungodly men ; and brought on himself
that just rebuke ; " Put up thy sword ; for all who
take the sword shall perish with the sword11." St. Paul
b Tit. iii. 3. c 1 Sam. xxv. 21, 22. d Matt. v. 39—41.
c Rom. xii. 17. f Rom. xii. 19, 20. and Matt. v. 44.
s Numb. xx. 10—12. h Matt. xxvi. 51, 52.
472 EPHESIANS, VI. 14, 15. [2130.
himself too, on one occasion, was so irritated with
the injustice of his judge, that he brake forth into
passionate revilings against his ruler and governor,
and was constrained to apologize for his conduct in
the presence of his enemies1. If then these holiest of
men were thus sorely wounded through their occa
sional impatience, what advantage will not Satan
gain over those, whose spirit is altogether lofty and
unsubdued ? Doubtless he will harass them in their
march, till they turn back, and recede from the field
of battle k.
But let the Gospel have its due effect ; let it ren
der us meek, patient, forbearing, and forgiving ; let
it transform us into the image of the meek and lowly
Jesus, who when he was reviled, reviled not again ;
and when he suffered, threatened not, but committed
himself to him who judgeth righteously1; and the
stumbling-blocks that offended us before, will appear
unworthy of any serious regard. When our enemies
persecute us, wre shall be ready to weep over them
for the evil which they bring upon themselves, rather
than be incensed against them for the evil which they
do to usm. We shall use no other weapons against
them than "faith and patience":" " being defamed,
we shall entreat ; being persecuted, we shall suffer
it0." Instead of being "overcome of evil, we shall
endeavour to overcome evil with goodp :" and by
ee letting patience have its perfect work, we shall be
perfect and entire, lacking nothing'1."
It may be objected, perhaps, that, while we con
duct ourselves in this way, we shall be trampled
under foot of all, and be vanquished by all. But to
this we answer, that, though we should be trampled
under foot, we should not be vanquished : on the
contrary, though " we be killed all the day long,
and are as sheep appointed for the slaughter, yet in
all these things shall we be more than conquerors1".
We may, like Stephen, be stoned to death : yet, if
1 Acts xxiii. 3 — 5. k Matt. xiii. 21. l 1 Pet. ii. 21 — 23.
Jn Luke xix. 41, 42. n Heb. vi. 12. ° 1 Cor. iv. 12, 13.
i' Rom. xii. 21. cs Jam. i. 4. r Rom. viii. 36, 37.
2130.] THE CHRISTIAN'S GREAVES. 473
like him, we can pray for our murderers8, we have
the noblest of all victories, that of overcoming a vin
dictive spirit : and, though we fall in the conflict, we
maintain the field against all our enemies. Who, do
we suppose, was victor, the Jews, who, at Satan's
instigation, put our Lord to death ; or Jesus, who
expired a victim on the cross ? We cannot doubt ;
for we are told in the Scriptures, that, " through
death, Jesus overcame death, and him that had the
power of death, that is, the devil *: yes; "on his
very cross he spoiled principalities and powers, and
made a show of them openly, triumphing over them
in itu." Nor can we more effectually manifest our
superiority to all the powers of darkness, than by
"resisting unto blood in our strife against sinx."
Were we to become our own avengers, we should
" give place to the devil y ;" but by suffering with
our Lord, we become partners of his victory2, and
partakers of his glory a.
What remains now but earnestly to exhort you to
get "your feet shod with" this blessed Gospel?
Consider how many devices Satan has to wound your
feet, and to cast you down. We have already noticed
persecution, as a very principal engine used by him
to obstruct your progress. But there are other
means whereby he frequently effects his deadly pur
pose : many whom he could not stop by persecution,
he has turned out of the way by error. Look into
the epistles of St. Paul, and see how many he has
" corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ V
He has his ministers, as well as Christ ; and in out
ward appearance they are " ministers of righteous
ness ;" nor are they themselves conscious that they
are his agents. They propagate what they themselves
believe, and oftentimes with a zeal worthy of a better
cause. But they themselves are blinded by him ;
and then are used as his instruments to overthrow the
s Acts vii. 60. t Heb. ii. 14. u Col. ii. 14, 15.
x Heb. xii. 4. y Eph. iv. 27. z Rev. xii. 10, 11.
a 2 Tim. ii. 12. and Rom. viii. 17. b 2 Cor. xi. 3.
474- EPHESIANS, VI. 14, 15. [2130.
faith of others0. Which of the Churches, planted in
the apostolic age, was free from their influence ? In
which were there not " some who perverted the
Gospel of Christ V' and some who, by their means,
were "turned aside after Satan6?" At Rome there
were those who made it their business to " cause divi
sions; and by good words and fair speeches to deceive
the hearts of the simple f." At Corinth, the Church
was so distracted by them, that Christian love was al
most banished ; and nothing but " debates, envyings,
wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings,
tumults," obtained amongst them, insomuch that the
Apostle threatened to exert his apostolic authority,
and to inflict on them some signal judgments, if they
did not reform their conduct before he visited them
again g. As for the Galatian Church, such an ascen
dency had the false teachers gained over them, that
there was scarcely one who retained his integrity :
almost all of them had embraced, what St. Paul calls,
" another Gospel ;" and, so entirely had they trans
ferred their regards from him to their new teachers,
that notwithstanding " they would, not long before,
have plucked out their own eyes, and have given
them unto him," they now considered him in no other
light than " an enemy V At Ephesus also there
were some who, like " children, were tossed to and
fro with every wind of doctrine, while others, by
sleight and cunning craftiness, were lying in wait to
deceive themV At Philippi too, there were " dogs
and evil workers, of whom it was needful for them
to be ware k." But time would fail us to enumerate
the heresies that were propagated, and the apostasies
that were occasioned by them, even in the purest ages
of the Church. The epistles to Timothy and Titus
c 2 Cor. xi. 13 — 15. with Rev. iii. 9. Such ministers with their
hearers are " tlie synagogue of Satan" who is their teacher, their in
stigator, and their god.
11 Gal. i. 7. e 1 Tim. v. 15. f Rom. xvi. 17, 18.
g I Cor. i. 10, 11. and iii. 3, 4. and 2 Cor. xii. 20, 21. and xiii.
2, 10.
h Gal. i. 6. and iv. 9—11, 15—17. and v. 7, 8.
> Eph. iv. 14. k Phil. iii. 2.
2130.J THE CHRISTIAN'S GREAVES. 475
are full of complaints respecting these deceivers, and
of cautions to avoid all intercourse, either with them, or
with their followers1.
Now let any one say, whether, after so many
sad examples, he himself needs not to be well esta
blished in the true Gospel, lest he be " led aside by
the error of the wicked, and fall from his own stead
fastness111?"
But it will be asked, How shall I know the true
Gospel from those counterfeits which are proposed
for my acceptance ? To this we answer, The true
Gospel is a " Gospel of peace." It is a Gospel which
sets forth Jesus as our hope, " our peace" and our
all11. It is a Gospel which leads us to " shew all
meekness0,'' and, "as much as lieth in us, to live
peaceably with all menp." Particularly also will it
prompt us to seek the welfare of the Church, and to
" follow the things which make for peace, and things
wherewith one may edify another q." Whoever there
fore would turn us from Christ as the foundation of
our hope ; or would " cause divisions and offences in
the Church," in order to " scatter the flock of Christ,
and to draw them" from their proper foldr; we have
reason to think him no other than a " wolf in sheep's
clothing5;" a minister of Satan in the garb of a
" minister of righteousness :" and we should beware,
lest, by listening to such an one, our " unstable souls
be beguiled1," and we "fall so as never to be renewed
unto repentance11." We must not only take heed
how we hear, but what we hearx : for if" whole houses
1 1 Tim. i. 3, 4, 6, 7, 19, 20. and iv. 1, 6. and v. 12, 15. and
vi. 3 — 5, ("from such withdraw thyself") 20, 21. and 2 Tim. i.
13 — 15. and ii. 16 — 18, 23. and iii. 5, ("from such turn away")
6— 9, 13. and iv. 3, 4, 14, 15. Tit. i. 9—11, 13, 14. and iii. 9—11.
See also Rom. xvi. 17, 18. before cited, " avoid them;" and 2 Pet.
ii. 1, 2. and 1 John ii. 19. and iv. 1. and 2 John, ver. 7, 10, 11.
" receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed" fyc.
and 3 John, ver. 10. and Jude, ver, 4. and Rev. ii. 14, 15, 20, 24.
m Heb. xiii. 9. 2 Pet. iii. 17.
n 1 Tim. i. 1. Eph. ii. 14—17. Col. iii. 11.
0 Tit. iii. 2. P Rom. xii. 18. <i Rom. xiv. 19.
r Acts xx. 29, 30. s Matt. vii. 15. t 9 pet. jj. 14.
u lleb. vi. (3. x Luke viii. 18. with Mark iv. 24.
476 EPHESIANS, VI. 16. [2131.
were sub verted y" in the days of the Apostles, and
"all the Christians in Asia were turned away from"
the ministry of St. Paul2, there is no minister whom
we may not be induced to forsake, nor is there any
one so established in the truth but he has need to
pray that he may be kept from error.
Surely we need no stronger arguments to enforce
the exhortation of the text. Let us get the know
ledge of the Gospel : let us receive it, not as a theory
merely, but as a practical and living principle, that
shall influence our hearts and lives. And when we
have received it, let us be tenacious of it ; let us
" hold fast the form of sound doctrine that we have
received8." Let us make use of it to keep us firm in
the midst of difficulties, and steadfast in the midst of
errors. Let us " be ever on our guard, lest any root
of bitterness springing up, trouble us, and thereby
many be defiledV Finally, let us " stand fast in
the Lord0:" so we shall, like our Lord himself,
" endure the cross, and despise the shame, and sit
down as victors on the right hand of the throne of
Godd."
y Tit. i. 11. z 2 Tim. i. 15. a 2 Tim. i. 13.
b Heb. xii. 15. c Phil. iv. 1. d Heb. xii. 2.
MMCXXXI.
THE CHRISTIAN'S SHIELD.
Eph. vi. 16. Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye
shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
NOTWITHSTANDING the armour of the an
cients was generally so constructed, that it could
repel any weapon that might come against it, the
warrior did not conceive himself to be completely
armed without a shield. In reference to the Chris
tian soldier, this observation may be applied with still
greater propriety ; because, however excellent the
different pieces of his armour may be, not one of them
will suffice for his protection, unless it be itself also
21f31.J THE CHRISTIAN'S SHIELD. 477
covered with the shield of faith. As " without faith
it is impossible to please God/' so without faith it is
impossible to withstand Satan. That powerful ad
versary will soon pierce through our "truth" and
"righteousness/' if they be exposed to his assault
without any additional defence. On this account the
Apostle directs, that " above all/' and in addition to
all, we should " take the shield of faith."
In illustrating this divine injunction we propose to
shew,
I. The office of faith in the Christian's armour—
II. Its transcendent excellence —
I. The office of faith in the Christian's armour —
The particular use of a shield is to ward off a blow
from any part of the body that may be menaced ;
and for that end it is to be applied in every direction,
as occasion may require.
Now Satan strikes sometimes at one part, and
sometimes at another, according as the different
parts may seem most open to his attack. And the
temptations with which he makes his assault, are as
" fiery darts," which fly with incredible velocity,
and are calculated to inflame the soul with their
deadly poison.
The office of faith, and its power to repel these
darts, will distinctly appear, while we shew how it
enables the Christian to foil Satan in all his attempts
to wound either his head, or heart.
Satan has many fierce and fiery temptations,
whereby he endeavours to wound the head. There
is not any thing so horrid or blasphemous, which he
will not suggest to the mind. Even atheism itself is
not so shocking, but he is capable of impressing the
idea of it upon the soul, and of leading men to an
adoption of it in practice, at least, if not also in theory
and judgment3. From the apparent inequality that
there is in the dispensations of Providence, Satan
a Ps. xiv. 1.
478 EPHESIANS, VI. 16. [2131.
raises a doubt whether there be a God ; or, at least,
whether he interfere at all in the concerns of menb, or
will judge the world in righteousness at the last dayc.
He will take occasion also from the difficulties that
there are in Scripture to draw men to infidelity.
" How can that be the word of God which is so full
of contradictions ? And who can know with any
certainty what it declares to us, when those who pro
fess to believe it, are of such opposite sentiments ?"
By such temptations as these he assaults chiefly the
avowed enemies of God. But there are other temp
tations whereby he labours (and with too much
success) to turn from the faith those who confess the
divine authority of the Scriptures. He will draw
them into errors of various kinds, and thus under
mine the principles which he could not destroy by
open assault. Time would not suffice to point out
the innumerable errors to which he has given birth,
and by which he has destroyed the souls of men : but
there is one way in which almost all of them have
been produced and propagated : he induces men to
take some one truth of Scripture, and to magnify its
importance beyond all due bounds, and to exalt it, not
only above all other truths, but to the utter exclusion of
them ; and thus he founds error upon truth, and the
most " damnable heresies " upon the sacred records.
Mark the different heresies, and examine them by
this test ; and the truth of the observation will im
mediately appear. Because our blessed Saviour was
a man, and both lived and died as an example to his
followers, therefore the Socmians affirm that he was
only a man, and that he died only as an example ;
and thus, they set aside both his divinity and atone
ment. Because the Spirit of God is represented as
dwelling in believers, therefore the Mystics reduce all
religion to a vain conceit about the light within
them ; from a regard to which, they overlook the
work of Christ for them, yea, and supersede the
plainest institutions of religion, and, in a very great
degree, the Scriptures themselves. In the same
*> Ps. Ixxiii. 12, 13. c Zeph. i. 12.
2131.] THE CHRISTIAN'S SHIELD. 479
manner the Antinomian advocate for faith excludes
good works from his system ; whilst the Moralist,
from an ignorant zeal for good works, discards all
concern about the faith of Christ. The rigid Predes-
tinarlan asserts the sovereignty of God to the subver
sion of man's freedom and responsibility ; while the
contender for the freedom and sufficiency of mans will,
obliterates the decrees of heaven, and denies his
dependence on God.
To enter more minutely into these various heresies
would lead us too far from our subject. The point
to be illustrated is, How does faith enable us to
avoid them ? But previous to this inquiry, it will be
proper to shew briefly, that these errors do indeed
proceed from Satan as their author; and that they
are not unfitly compared to fiery darts.
Nothing can be plainer in the Scriptures than that
Satan is the great author of error, not only because
he is "the father of liesd," and " the deceiver of the
world6," but because the propagators of error are
expressly called his children f, and his ministers g;
and they who have embraced error, are said to have
been " tempted of the tempter11," and to have "turned
aside after Satan1;" and to be "of the synagogue of
Satan V
This point will receive additional confirmation, by
observing with what propriety his temptations are
compared to " fiery darts ;" for how suddenly do
they strike the mind ! how deeply also do they pene
trate ! and with what venom do they inflame the
soul ! Truly " they set on fire the whole course of
nature; and themselves are set on fire of hell1."
St. Paul speaks of those who are turned from the
truth as being tf bewitched111:" and indeed, when
we see what infatuation seizes them, how their under
standings are blinded, their judgments warped, their
conscience perverted, and how they are carried away
by their own pride and self-sufficiency, without ever
d John viii. 44. e Rev. xii. 9. f Acts xiii. 10.
s 2 Cor. xi. 15. h 1 Thess. iii. 5. * 1 Tim. v. 15.
k Rev. iii. 9. * Jam. iii. 6. m Gal. iii. 1.
480 EPHESIANS, VI. 16. [2131.
considering what spirit they are of, or conceiving it
possible that they should be misled ; we cannot but
confess that they are the unhappy victims of satanic
agency.
Now we come to the point proposed, to consider
how faith repels these fiery darts.
Faith, provided it be a true and living faith, receives
the word of God simply on the authority of him that
revealed it". It staggers not at any difficulties either
in the dispensations of his providence, or the decla
rations of his grace. Conscious of man's inability to
comprehend even the most common matters in their
full extent, the believer submits his reason to God,
and receives without gainsaying whatsoever divine
wisdom has revealed0. Now the interference of God
in the government of the world, even in the falling of
a sparrow p, or of the hairs of our headq, is most
clearly asserted in the inspired volume ; and, on that
account, no occurrence whatever is suffered to weaken
the conviction, that all things are under his immediate
and entire controul1. Nor do the difficulties that are
in Scripture at all lessen its authority in the believer's
eyes : whatever he cannot account for as arising from
the circumstances under which the Scriptures have
been handed down to us, he puts to the score of his
own ignorance, and contentedly says, " What I know
not now, I shall know hereafter8." And, as to all
the heresies that have been broached in the Christian
Church, he has one way of repelling all : he " com
pares spiritual things with spiritual ';" not hastily
rejecting any plain declaration of God, because he
cannot discern its harmony and agreement with
some other declaration : he rather looks to God for
the teachings of his Spirit ; and keeps his mind ready
to embrace whatever may tend to his own humilia
tion, or to the glory of God. If it be thought that
still he will be as open to receive error as truth, we
answer, that God has promised to " guide him into all
n 1 Thess. ii. 13. ° Jam. i. 21. P Matt. x. 29.
Q Matt. x. 30. r Isai. xlv, 7. s John xiii. 7.
1 1 Cor. ii. 13.
2131.] THE CHRISTIAN'S SHIELD. 481
truth";" and that every believer has within himself
the witness of all the fundamental doctrines of our
religion x; so that, " though he be a mere fool" in all
other matters, "he shall surely be kept from error"
in the concerns of his soul y.
We must next call your attention to the tempta
tions wherewith Satan assaults the heart. Under
this term we include both the will and the affections ;
the former of which he endeavours to weaken by
terrors, while he corrupts the latter by the allurements
of sense.
As soon as that wicked fiend beholds any turning
unto God, he will suggest to their minds the comforts
they must sacrifice, the reproaches they must incur,
the losses they must sustain, and the insuperable
difficulties they must encounter ; that so he may
shake their resolution, and divert them from their
purpose. It was thus that he prevented the entrance
of the Israelites into Canaan2. It was thus also that
he succeeded in damping the ardour of that wealthy
youth, who, from love to his great possessions, relin
quished all hope of an interest in Christ a. And in
the same manner does he prevail with thousands of
the present day, who would gladly participate his
blessings, if they could retain together with them
their carnal attachments b.
If he cannot succeed by these means, he will repre
sent their case as hopeless ; and dissuade them from
prosecuting their course by the consideration, that
their efforts will be in vainc.
To others he will propose the pleasures of sense.
He will set before them, as he did before our Lordd,
the glory of the world ; he will draw their attention
to " the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the
pride of life6." He will represent these things in the
most fascinating view ; well knowing, that if he can
but induce them to love either the pleasures, or the
11 John xvi. 13. x 1 John v. 10.
y Isai. xxxv. 8. with Ps. xxv. 9. z Numh. xiv. 1 — 4.
a Matt. xix. 21, 22. b Matt. viii. 19 — 22.
c Jer. xviii. 12. d Matt. iv. 8, 9. e 1 John ii. lo, 16.
VOL. XVII. I I
482 EPHESIANS, VI. 16. [2131.
riches, or the honours of the world, he has accom
plished his purpose, and effectually alienated their
hearts from Godf.
Now these also are as " fiery darts," which, if they
once enter into the soul, will burn up all the good
that is within it, and destroy it utterly.
But faith is as useful to protect the heart, as to
defend the head. As it obviates every difficulty that
may perplex the understanding, so it wards off every
thing that may intimidate or defile the soul.
To the temptations that assault the will, faith
opposes the importance of eternal things : ' Be it so ;
I must endure much if I will adhere to my purpose
of serving God : but what shall I have to endure if I
do not serve him ? It is not a matter of mere choice,
but of absolute necessity ; for " what shall it profit
me if I gain the whole world, and lose my own soul ?
or what shall a man give in exchange for his soulg?"
Let me not then hear of difficulties ; for if Nebu
chadnezzar's furnace were before me, it were better
to suffer martyrdom at once with the Hebrew Youths,
than to renounce my allegiance to Godh. With
respect to the hopelessness of my case, nothing but
destruction can result from despair : for " to whom
can I go, if not to Him who has the words of eternal
life1?" God helping me therefore I will go forward ;
and if I perish, I will perish k at the foot of my
Redeemer's cross, crying for mercy as the chief of
sinners.'
Then to the temptations that assault the affec
tions, faith opposes the excellency of eternal things :
' True ; I might enjoy the pleasures of sin ; but
would they equal the pleasure of serving God, and
especially those " pleasures which are at his right
hand for evermore?" Are not "the unsearchable
riches of Christ," together with " the honour that
cometh of God," sufficient to counterbalance any
riches or honours that I may forego for Christ's
f Matt. vi. 24. with Jam. iv. 4. & Matt. xvi. 2G.
h Dan. iii. 18. * John vi. 68.
k Alluding to Esth. iv. 16. and to 2 Kings vii. 4.
21f31.] THE CHRISTIAN'S SHIELD. 483
sake ? Avaunt, Satan, for what thou offerest me is
poor, transient, delusive : whereas the blessedness of
the saints, both in this world and the next, is sub
stantial, exquisite, everlasting.' Thus it was that
Moses argued, when he "refused to be called the
son of Pharaoh's daughter, and chose rather to
suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy
the pleasures of sin for a season :" and the principle
that dictated the argument, was "faith1." This was
his " shield ;" and the same will enable us also to
repel the darts of Satan, however fiercely they be
hurled, and however formidably they may come
against us.
Having thus illustrated the office of faith,, we pro
ceed to point out,
II. Its transcendent excellence —
Somewhat of this has already appeared : but the
high encomium which the Apostle bestows on this
piece of armour in particular above all others, mani
festly demands a more distinct consideration.
We may observe then in commendation of faith,
considered as the Christian's shield, that its use is
universal; its application is easy ; its success is sure.
First, its use is universal —
All the other parts of armour have their distinct
province, to which they are confined. "Truth" and
" righteousness" defend the heart ; but they are of no
use at all to protect the head. But faith is univer
sally applicable to every species of temptation. Faith
discerns the truth of the Gospel, and thereby is fitted
to preserve the head from error : it discerns also the
importance and excellence of the Gospel, and is there
fore proper to preserve the heart from sin. It is no
less useful to the feet ; for we " stand by faith"1," and
" walk by faith11." Every step we take is safest
under the guidance of faith, because it both affords
us the best light, and enables us to walk without
stumbling even in the dark0.
1 Ileb. xi. 24—20, m 2 Cor. i. 24.
n 2 Cor. v. 7. ° Isai. 1. 10. Mic. vii. 8.
484 EPHESIANS, VI. 16. [2131.
Let this consideration then operate on all, and
stir us all up to seek faith. Let us not hastily con
clude that we possess this principle ; for " all men
have not faithp." "Faith is the gift of Godq:" nor
can we have it, unless it have been given us from
above. O that all would seek it at the hands of a
reconciled God ! Beloved brethren, be not satisfied
with " the girdle of sincerity," or " the breast-plate
of righteousness," or " the greaves of Gospel peace :"
they are all good and useful in their place ; but it is
faith, that gives even to them their chief strength ;
and it is faith, by which alone you can ever be vic
torious. Does the world tempt you ? " this is the
victory that overcometh the world, even our faith1."
Does corruption harass you ? you must " purify your
heart by faith8." Do your graces languish ? It is
faith alone that will set them to work in a way of
love*. And lastly, does the devil as a roaring lion
threaten to devour you ? It is by being steadfast in
the faith that you must resist and vanquish him11.
Think then of the use and efficacy of faith ; and
pray to our adorable Saviour in the words of his
Apostles, " Lord increase our faith x."
In the next place we observe, that its application is
easy —
A shield is easily transferred from one position
to another as occasion may require : and faith also
quickly moves to the protection of any part that is
attacked. We do not say, that it is an easy thing
to produce faith ; for it requires no less power than
that which was exerted in raising Christ from the
dead, to create faith in the heart y. But when a per
son has faith, then, we say, it is easy for him to
apply it for his defence. Suppose that our head
were attacked with subtle heresies, and we had
nothing but reason to counteract the temptation ;
how weak, how tardy, how uncertain would be its
operation ! The greater part of mankind would not
P 2 Thess. iii. 2. 1 Phil. i. 29. r 1 John v. 4.
s Acts xv. 9. * Gal. v. 6. u 1 Pet. v. 8, 9.
x Luke xvii. 5. y Eph. i. 19, 20.
2131.] THE CHRISTIAN'S SHIELD. 485
have either time or ability to follow Satan in all his
arguments ; nor would those of the strongest intel
lect ever arrive at certainty ; they could rise no higher
than opinion at the last ; while those of inferior
talents would be lost in endless perplexity. Suppose
again that our heart were attacked with some fiery
lust, and we had no better defence than that which
reason could afford; would passion listen to the voice
of reason ? As well might we attempt to extinguish
flames that were consuming our house, by a slight
sprinkling of water with the hand, as to stop the
course of our passions by the efforts of unassisted
reason. But in either of these cases, one single word
from Scripture will suffice. How was it that our
great Captain repelled the fiery darts that were cast
at him ? " It is written ;" " It is written ;" " It is
written2." Thus he fought; and his vanquished
enemy fled from before him. Thus also must we
fight ; and by opposing to our enemy this shield, the
weakest and most ignorant is as sure of victory, as
the strongest and most intelligent. In some respects
the poor and ignorant have an advantage over the
rich and learned ; because they exercise faith, for the
most part, in a more simple manner ; whereas the
others are ever trusting, more or less, to their own
reason : and it is expressly with a view to confound
the pride of reason, that God has given this supe
riority to the poor, and " chosen them, in preference
to others, to be rich in faith a."
Let this then operate as a further inducement with
us to seek faith, since none of us can get the victory
without itb; and by it the very weakest on earth shall
be able to remove mountains0.
Lastly, we may affirm, that its success is sure—
But for their faith, the most eminent of God's saints
would have been destroyed. " I had fainted," says
David, "if I had not believedd:" and Peter would
have been driven away as the chaff, if our Lord had
z Luke iv. 4, 8, 10. a Jam. ii. 5. b Isai. vii. 9.
c Matt. xvii. 20. d Ps. xxvii. 13.
486 EPHESIANS, VI. 16. [2131.
not secured his faith from failing6. On the other
hand, we have a host of saints upon record, who,
" through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought right
eousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of
lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the
edge of the sword, out of weakness were made
strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the
armies of the aliens : women received their dead to
life again ; and others were tortured, not accepting
deliverance ; that they might obtain a better resur
rection. And others had trial of cruel mockings and
scourgings, yea moreover, of bonds and imprison
ment : they were stoned, they were sawn asunder,
were tempted, were slain with the sword : they
wandered about in sheep-skins, and goat-skins, being
destitute, afflicted, tormented. These all obtained a
good report THROUGH FAITH f." Further, if we search
the annals of the world, we shall not find one single
instance wherein believers were ultimately vanquished.
On many occasions they have been wounded, and
sorely too : even the father of the faithful himself
was not so expert in the use of his shield as to ward
off every blowg: but believers are secured from any
fatal stroke. Our Lord himself has pledged his
word that they shall never perish h; that, if they fall,
they shall be raised up again to renew the contest1;
and, that " Satan shall finally be bruised under their
feetV
Remarkable in this view are the expressions of the
text. The idea of " quenching" the fiery darts of the
wicked one, may perhaps refer to the custom of
making shields sometimes of raw hides, that, in case
a poisoned arrow should perforate them, the wound,
which on account of the poison must otherwise have
been fatal, might be healed. But perhaps the true
meaning may be, that by faith we shall as completely
defeat the malignant efforts of Satan, as by the ex
tinguishing of fire we shall be delivered from its
e Luke xxii. 32. f Heb. xi. 33—39.
s Gen. xii. 12, 13. and xx. 2. h John v. 24. and x. 28.
1 Ps. xxxvii. 24. and cxlv. 14. k Rom. xvi. 20.
2132.] THE CHRISTIAN'S HELMET. 487
fury. Nor is this true of some temptations only ; it
extends to " all" without exception. Nor can it be
said of some believers only, who are of the highest
class ; for all who are armed with the shield of faith,
whether they be old or young, rich or poor, learned
or unlearned, "shall be able" perfectly, and for ever,
to subdue their adversary.
To all then we say, " Have faith in God1:" if " ye
have believed in the Father, believe also in Christ"1."
" Believe in the Lord, so shall ye be established ;
believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper11."
1 Mark xi. 22. m John xiv. 1. "2 Chron. xx. 20.
MMCXXXII.
THE CHRISTIAN'S HELMET.
Eph. vi. 17. And take the helmet of salvation.
THE generality of mankind have very inadequate
ideas of the Christian warfare. They know but little
of the enemies with whom we have to contend, or
of the imminent danger to which we are exposed
through their continual assaults. But, as some con
ception might be formed of the power of an enemy,
by viewing the extensive preparations that were made
to oppose him, so may we learn to estimate the
difficulties of the spiritual warfare, by surveying the
various parts of armour which God has prepared for
our defence. We have already noticed the girdle
and breast-plate, for the body; the greaves, for the
legs and feet ; the shield, for the head, in common
with the rest of the body : but yet the head is not
sufficiently protected; it must have a peace of ar
mour more appropriate ; a piece suited to its neces
sities, and fitted for its use. In the account given
us of Goliath, we read that " he had a helmet of brass
upon his head3:" and such a piece of armour is pro
vided for us also; we are required to "take the
helmet of salvation."
a 1 Sam. xvii. 5.
488 EPHESIANS, VI. 17. [2132.
In opening this subject we shall shew,
I. What we are to understand by " salvation" —
II. Its use and importance in the Christian warfare —
I. What are we to understand by the term " sal
vation ?"
It is evident that the expression is elliptical ; nor
should we know how, with any certainty, to complete
the sense, if the Apostle himself had not supplied the
defect in a parallel passage : but all doubt is removed
by that exhortation in his Epistle to the Thessalo-
niansb, " Let us who are of the day, be sober, putting
on the breast-plate of faith and love, and for an
helmet, the hope of salvation." From hence we see
that HOPE is the Christian's helmet. Yet,, because
there are various kinds of hope, and only one that
will afford the Christian any effectual protection, we
must enter more particularly into the subject, and
distinguish the scriptural hope from every other
that may be mistaken for it.
In the first place then, true hope has salvation for
its object. This is very strongly marked in different
parts of Scripture : for we are said to be " saved by
hope0:" and salvation itself is sometimes called hope;
they who look for salvation, are said to be " look
ing for that blessed hoped :" at other times, hope is
called salvation : we are exhorted in the text to take
the helmet of salvation. There are many, whose
hopes have respect indeed to eternal life ; but they
are unmindful of their lost estate ; they are regard
less of that way of deliverance, which God has pro
vided for them through the blood and righteousness
of the Lord Jesus ; they expect heaven, because they
have done nothing to forfeit it : if they have sinned,
they have not sinned in such a degree as to deserve
the wrath of God ; they have committed only com
mon and venial faults ; they have, moreover, done
many things to counterbalance their evil deeds ; and
therefore they hope for heaven as the award of
b 1 Thess. v. 8. c Rom. viii. 24. d Tit. ii. 13.
2132.] THE CHRISTIAN'S HELMET. 489
justice, rather than as a gift of unbounded mercy. This,
for distinction sake, we may call a self-righteous hope :
whereas the hope of every true Christian is founded
altogether on the merits of Christ, and has respect
to salvation, as purchased for us by his obedience
unto death.
Further, true hope has God for its author. There
is scarcely a person to be found in the world, who, if
the question were put to him, Do you hope to go to
heaven if you die in your present state ? would not
answer in the affirmative. If we should proceed to
inquire, Whence got you that hope ? they would tell
us, that they had always had it. But this is a pre
sumptuous hope, the offspring of ignorance and con
ceit. Widely different from this is the Christian's
hope. He has trembled for his state : he has seen
his guilt and danger : he has " fled for refuge to the
hope set before him." God has revealed to him the
riches of his grace ; and has shewn him that " where
sin hath abounded, grace shall much more abound."
The Holy Spirit has " taken of the things of Christ,
and shewn them unto him :" yea, he has convinced
him, that " the blood of Jesus Christ is able to
cleanse him from all sin ;" and that " all who believe
in Christ, are justified from all things." In this way
God has inspired him with hope, that, notwithstand
ing all his past iniquities, he shall obtain salvation :
and though there may be a considerable difference as
to the degree of fear or terror that may precede this
hope, yet this is the way in which it is invariably
wrought in the soul. Hence it is said, that " God
begets us unto a lively hope6;" and " gives us ever
lasting consolation and good hope through grace f;"
and that " he fills us with joy and peace in believing,
that wre may abound in hope through the power of the
Holy Ghost*"
Once more ; true hope has holiness for its inse
parable companion. Whatever may be imagined to
the contrary, there is no salvation to those who live
e 1 Pet. i. 3. f 2Thcss. ii. 10. s Rom. xv. 13.
490 EPHESIANS, VI. 17. [2132.
in sin. Christ came to " save us from our sins/' but
not in them. We are expressly told that " the grace
of God which bringeth salvation, teaches us,, that
denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live
righteously, soberly, and godly in this present world,
looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious ap
pearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus
Christ V There is a kind of hope that will consist
with the indulgence of secret lust, and with a total
want of holy dispositions : but that is " the hope of
the hypocrite which perisheth, and shall be swept
away with the besom of destruction1. But the hope
of the upright is far different from this : it will admit
of no allowed sin., whether of omission or of com
mission : on the contrary, we are told, that " he who
hath this hope in him, purifieth himself even as God
is purek :" he will retain no bosom lusts ; he will not
so much as wish for any exceptions and reserves in
his obedience to God: he will desire, and endeavour,
to be " holy as God is holy, and perfect even as his
Father that is in heaven is perfect."
This then may serve to distinguish the Christian's
hope from that which is self-righteous, presumptuous,
or hypocritical ; and consequently to determine with
considerable accuracy, what that hope is, that is con
nected with salvation. And though the text itself
does not so much as mention hope, and much less
discriminate between its different kinds, yet the very
omission of these things points out the evident pro
priety of marking clearly what the import of sal
vation is, and what that is which alone deserves the
name.
We may now, with much greater advantage, pro
ceed to shew,
II. The use and importance of salvation in the
Christian warfare—
The importance of this helmet is not obscurely
intimated in that prophecy respecting Christ, wherein
11 Tit. ii. 11—13. i Job viii. 13, 14. k 1 John iii. 3.
2132*] THE CHRISTIAN'S HELMET. 491
it is said " He put on righteousness as a breast-plate,
and a helmet of salvation upon his head1."
But, to mark it more distinctly, we may observe,
that it prepares us for conflicts, sustains us in them,
and brings us victorious through them.
Hope prepares us for conflicts. A man armed with
a helmet, feels himself ready to battle : he fears not
to meet his adversary, because he has a defence,
which, he trusts, will prove sufficient for his preser
vation. Thus a man that has a hope of salvation,
enters into the combat with holy confidence. He is
not intimidated by the frowns of an ungodly world,
because he " knows in whom he has believed, and
that God is able to keep that which he has committed
to him™." He says with David, " Though a host
should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear ;
though war should rise ^against me, in him will I be
confident11." This subject cannot be more strongly
illustrated than in Caleb and the whole nation of the
Israelites. The nation were terrified at the report of
the spies, and, instead of proceeding to fight against
the Canaanites, proposed to appoint a captain, and
go back again into Egypt : but Caleb, whose hope
was lively, stood unmoved, and strove to animate his
countrymen with an assurance of easy victory0. And
thus, while the hearts of others are failing them for
fear, and they " turn back unto perdition," rather
than contend with their adversaries, the true Chris
tian, " encourages himself in his Godp," and makes
up his mind to die or conquer.
Further, a true hope will sustain us in conflicts.
Many who have shewn intrepidity at first, have yet
fainted when their trials were severe and of long
continuance. But he who has a hope full of immor
tality, will never yield, however painful the conflict
may be, and however heavy the pressure. " The
patriarchs continued to sojourn in the land of promise
as mere pilgrims, notwithstanding they had frequent
1 Isai. lix. 17. m 2 Tim. i. 12. n Ps. xxvii. 3.
0 Numb. xiii. 30, 31. and xiv. 1 — 4. P 1 Sam. xxx. G.
492 EPHESIANS, VI. 17. [2132.
opportunity to return" to their own country and
kindred : but they accounted the trial as nothing,
because " they looked for a better country, that is,
an heavenly ;" and expected in due time to arrive at
" a city that hath foundations, whose builder and
maker is Godq." Many women also who were tor
tured by the most ingenious cruelty even unto death,
yet declined accepting deliverance upon dishonour
able terms, that they might be accounted worthy
to obtain a better resurrection1". St. Paul too, that
bright pattern of all virtues, assigns this as the reason
why he did not faint under his unparalleled afflictions:
" his outward man decayed ; but his inward man was
renewed day by day :" and his afflictions appeared to
him light and momentary, because he looked from
the vanities of time and sense to the invisible realities
of eternity8.
Thus shall our trials rather confirm, than weaken,
our hope, provided it be scriptural and genuine :
" our tribulation shall work patience ; our patience,
experience ; and our experience, hope1."
Once more : true faith will bring us victorious
through our conflicts. The Lord Jesus Christ him
self in this respect fully verified the prophecies
respecting him ; and set us an example, which it is
our privilege to folio w. The Prophet Isaiah repre
sents Jesus as speaking in these triumphant strains :
" The Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not
be confounded : therefore have I set my face like a
flint ; and I know that I shall not be ashamed. He
is near that justified! me ; who shall contend with
me ? let us stand together ; who is mine adversary ?
let him come near to me. Behold, the Lord God
will help me ; who is he that shall condemn me ?
lo, they all shall wax old as a garment ; the moth
shall eat them upu." Thus will hope enable us also
to anticipate the victory, while yet we are fighting
on the field of battle : through it, we may defy all
(i Heb. xi. 8—10, 13—16. r Heb. xi. 35.
s 2 Cor. iv. 16—18. * Rom. v. 3, 4.
u Isai. 1. 7—9.
2132.] THE CHRISTIAN'S HELMET. 49,3
the powers of earth or hell ever to " separate us
from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus x." Yea,
such " an anchor shall it be to our souls," that we
shall be steadfast7 in the midst of this tempestuous
world, and be enabled to outride the storm, which
causes many to " make shipwreck of their faith2,"
and ultimately sinks them to everlasting perdition3.
Let me then entreat you, first, to get this helmet.
Be not satisfied with a delusive hope that will fail
you in the day of necessity ; but bring it to the trial:
see whether it be able to endure the assaults of your
adversary : compare it with the description which
God himself gives of that which is true and saving.
Look well to it that it be not self-righteous, pre
sumptuous, or hypocritical. Be well assured that it
is of heavenly temper : and let daily experience shew,
that it enables you to " lift up your head above all
your enemies," whether outward or inward, terrestrial
or infernal. Think with yourselves, how awful it
would be to find, either in the hour of death or in
the day of judgment, that you had deceived your
selves with some phantom of your own imagination,
and formed expectations of happiness that cannot be
realized. O do not expose yourselves to such a
dreadful disappointment. Remember the fate of the
foolish virgins : they hoped that their lamp of pro
fession would suffice, though they were destitute of
the oil whereby alone they could make their light to
shine. Through this they perishedb, as thousands
of others have done, by resting in their religious
privileges, or their outward conformity to the Divine
will, when they had not the inward principle of
renewing, sanctifying grace0. But let it not be so
with you. " Judge yourselves, that you may not be
judged of the Lordd." And beg of God to give you
that " hope that shall never make you ashamed6."
Next, we would urge you to keep on this helmet in
all your conflicts. Constant will be Satan's endeavours
x Rom. viii. 31 — 39. y Heb. vi. 19. * 1 Tim. i. 19.
a Heb. x. 39. b Matt. xxv. 4, 8 — 11.
c Matt. vii. 21—23. d 1 Cor. xi. 31. e Rom. v. ,5.
494 EPHESIANS, VI. 17. [2132.
to deprive you of it ; and great his triumph if
he succeed. Above all things, be careful that you
" cast not away your confidence, but hold fast the
rejoicing of your hope firm unto the endf." If at
any time you begin to be distracted with doubts
and fears, instantly check yourselves as David did ;
" Why art thou cast down, O my soul, and why art
thou disquieted within me ? hope thou in Godg."
Though you are to " work out your own salvation
with fear and trembling11," you must " not run as
uncertainly, or fight as one that beateth the air1 :"
you must remember who is engaged for your support;
and that " he is faithful who hath promised k." It is
true, " you have need of patience, that after you have
done the will of God you may receive the promise1 :"
but " if you hope for that you see not, such a hope
implies, that you will with patience wait for itm."
St. James proposes to you the examples of the hus
bandman : " Behold," says he, " the husbandman
waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath
long patience for it until he receive the early and
latter rain. Be ye also patient: stablish your hearts;
for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh" ;" and then
shall your confidence be richly rewarded0. " Gird
up then the loins of your mind ; be sober, and hope
to the end for the grace that shall be brought unto
you at the revelation of Jesus Christ p." This is the
way, the sure way, to conquer. " Be steadfast, im
movable, always abounding in the work of the Lord;
knowing assuredly, that your labour shall not be in
vain in the LordV
Lastly, let that which is your defence, be also your
ornament. There is not a more ornamental part of
the soldier's armour, than the helmet. Nor is there
any thing that more adorns the Christian, than a
lively, steadfast, and consistent hope. In the exercise
of hope, he stands, as it were, on the top of Pisgah,
f Heb. iii. 6, 14. g Ps. xlii. 11. h Phil. ii. 13.
1 1 Cor. ix. 26. k Heb. x. 23. ' Heb. x. 36.
m Rom. viii. 25. n Jam. v. 7, 8. ° Heb. x. 35.
P 1 Pet. i. 13. q 1 Cor. xv. 58.
2132.] THE CHRISTIAN'S HELMET. 495
and surveys the land of promise, the land that floweth
with milk and honey r. He longs to leave this dreary
wilderness, and to " enter into the joy of his Lord."
Knowing that " when his earthly tabernacle shall
be dissolved, he has a house not made with hands,
eternal in the heavens, he groans,, earnestly desiring
that mortality may be swallowed up of life8." If he
had crowns and kingdoms in his possession, still he
would account it " far better to depart and to be
with Christ*." He is "looking for, and hasting to,
the coming of the day of Christu ;" and thus has
" his conversation in heaven," while yet he remains
a sojourner upon earth x. View the Christian in this
frame, and confess, that the sun shining in his meri
dian strength, glorious as it is, " has no glory, by
reason of the Christian's glory that excelleth." This,
this, Christians, is the state in which you ought to
live. Were you more habitually in this frame, your
years of warfare would seem as nothing, for the
greatness of the prize for which you contend y. You
can scarcely conceive what an energy such a frame
would give to your souls. You would soon come to
Jesus with joy and wonder, like his Disciples of old,
saying, " Lord, even the devils are subject unto us
through thy name :" and he in return would in
crease your confidence by saying, " I beheld Satan
as lightning fall from heaven. Behold I give unto
you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and
over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall
ly any means hurt you*" Do but consider, how
weak will Satan's temptations be, when you thus
abound in hope ! how little will any thing be able
to move you, when you are thus, by joyful anti
cipation, " sitting already with Christ in heavenly
places a!" Beloved brethren, this is your perfection:
" you will come behind in no gift, when you are
thus waiting for the coming of the Lord Jesus V
r Deut. xxxiv. 1. s 2 Cor. v. 1—4. * Phil. i. 23.
u 2 Pet. iii. 12. x Phil. iii. 20.
>' Alluding to Gen. xxix. 20. z Luke x. 17 — 10.
a Eph. ii. 16. b Compare 2 Cor. xiii. 9. with 1 Cor. i. 7.
496 EPHESIANS, VI. 17. [2133.
Whatever you have to do, you will do it heartily, as
unto the Lord, and not unto men,, knowing that of
the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inherit
ance0." May God enable you thus to live, till faith
shall be lost in sight, and hope be consummated in
enjoyment !
c Col. iii. 22.
MMCXXXIII.
THE CHRISTIAN'S SWORD.
Eph. vi. 17. Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the
word of God.
THE Christian's warfare is principally of the de
fensive kind ; yet not so entirely, but that he must
follow up the advantages which he has at any time
gained, and seek the utter destruction of those ene
mies which infest his soul : after sustaining their
assaults, he must himself become the assailant ;
having resisted the world and sin, he must proceed
to overcome a, condemn b, and crucify0 them ; and
having withstood Satan, he must go on to " bruise
him under his feetd." That he may be enabled to
carry this into effect, God has provided for him an
offensive weapon, which, if skilfully used, shall accom
plish the ruin of all his enemies. To the considera
tion of this we are led by the text ; in elucidating
which we shall notice,
I. The description given of the Christian's sword—
II. Its usefulness to him in all his combats—
I. Let us notice the description given of the Chris
tian's sword —
What the sword is to a warrior, that the Scriptures
are to a child of God ; they enable him to inflict a
deadly wound on his adversaries, and to subdue them
before him.
* 1 John v. 4. b Heb. xi. 7.
c Gal. v. 24. and vi. 14. d Rom. xvi. 20.
2133.] THE CHRISTIAN'S SWORD. 497
Now the appellation here given to the Scriptures
is deserving of particular attention. They are called,
" the word of God," and " the sword of the Spirit."
They are called with great propriety, " the word
of God ;" first, because they were inspired by him.
They were indeed written by men ; but men were
only the agents and instruments that God made use
of : they wrote only what God by his Spirit dictated
to them : so that, in reality, the whole Scripture was
as much written by the ringer of God, as the laws
were, which he inscribed on two tables of stone, and
delivered to his servant Moses. And to this the
Scriptures themselves bear witness ; for in them it is
said, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God6;"
and again, " Holy men of God spake as they were
moved by the Holy Ghost f."
But they are called the word of God, not merely
as being inspired by him, but also as being a revelation
of his mind and will to man. In them his eternal
counsels are opened to the world. In them he has
declared in what way he will be reconciled to his
offending creatures. In them he has displayed all
the riches of his grace ; and exhibited all his perfec
tions as united and glorified in the person of Christ.
In short, whatever could lead to the establishment
of truth, or the refutation of error g, to the correc
tion of sin, or the promotion of righteousness, all is
contained in that inspired volume, in which there is
nothing superfluous, nothing defective : which there
fore maybe wholly, and exclusively, called, "the word
of God,"
But there is yet another, and a very important,
ground of this appellation, namely, that the Scrip
tures are the voice of God to every individual of man
kind. It is thought by some, that the Scriptures are
a mere record of transactions that passed many
hundred years ago ; and that, however true and
authentic they may be, they are no otherwise interest
ing to us, than as matters of curiosity and pleasing
e 2 Tim. iii. 10. f !2 Pet. i. 21.
% 2 Tim. in. 10. Il^or
VOL. XVII. K K
498 EPHESIANS, VI. 17. [2133.
instruction. Even the epistles are supposed to relate
only to the particular Churches to which they were
written : and thus the use of the Scriptures with
respect to ourselves is wholly superseded. But we
are abundantly guarded against this fatal error by
the application which the inspired writers themselves
make of numerous passages, which at first sight
appear to be as remote from us as any in the Bible.
Let us select a few, that will place this matter in its
true light. First, take an historical fact. A conten
tion arose in Abraham's family. His child by Hagar
mocked and insulted the child which he had by
Sarah. Sarah took part with her son ; and desired
that Hagar, with her son Ishmael, should be cast
out, and no longer be suffered to dwell in Abraham's
house. Now what could the children's quarrels, and
the mother's revenge, have to do with us? The
Apostle tells us, that the casting out of the bond
woman and her son was intended to shew, that they
who were yet in bondage to the law, should not have
any part in the inheritance of those who were made
free by the Gospel11. Next, take an occasional decla
ration. Abraham had exercised faith in God ; and
God declared, that his faith should be counted to him
for righteousness. In what respect, it may be asked,
can this apply to us? We answer with St. Paul,
that this declaration was recorded, not for Abraham's
sake alone, but for ours ; to inform us, that the way
of justification before God was, not by works, but by
faith only1. Next, take a personal promise. God, who
had commisioned Joshua to destroy the Canaanites,
told him that he would not leave him, nor forsake
him in this arduous attempt. Would any one con
ceive, that that promise had any respect to us ? Yet
it had ; and, in dependence upon it, every believer
may boldly say, " The Lord is my helper ; I will not
fear what man can do unto mek." Lastly, take as
insignificant an ordinance as any that is to be found
h Compare Gen. xxi. 10, 12. with Gal. iv. 30.
1 Compare Gen. xv. 6. with Rom. iv. 3, 23, 24.
k Compare Josh. i. ">. with Heb. xiii. o, 6.
2133. J THE CHRISTIAN'S SWORD. 499
in all the Mosaic ritual ; " Thou shalt not muzzle
the ox that treadeth out the corn." Now the utmost
that this might be supposed to teach us, is, mercy to
our beasts. But it had a further reference : God's
concern was, not for oxen, but for us ; and this ordi
nance was intended to declare, that all who serve at
the altar, should live of the altar1.
Let this suffice to illustrate the point in hand.
You see from an historical fact, an occasional declara
tion, a personal promise, and an insignificant ordinance,
that whatever the Scripture speaks, it speaks to us.
There is not a precept which is not as binding upon
us as on those to whom it was delivered : there is not
a threatening, at which we have not cause to tremble;
nor a promise, on which we are not warranted to rely,
if only we believe in Jesus Christ.
We come now to notice that other appellation
given to the Scriptures, " the sword of the Spirit."
In a variety of views this description of them is just
and appropriate.
It is by the Scriptures that the Holy Spirit speaks
to men. He did indeed in the early ages of the world
enlighten men by dreams and visions ; but since the
publication of the written word, and especially since
the completion of the sacred canon, he has called
men to the law and to the testimony"1; " they have
Moses and the prophets," says our Lord, " let them
hear them":" and again, "Search the Scriptures;
for in them ye have eternal life0." We do not say
indeed, that the Holy Spirit never uses any other
means of quickening or comforting the souls of men :
but the Scriptures are the means by which he usually
works p; nor does he ever work at all, but in a perfect
conformity to them.
The Scriptures are further called the sword of the
Spirit, because they derive all their power from the
Spirit. In themselves, they are like a sword sheathed,
and lying upon the ground : they are a dead letter :
1 Compare Deut. xxv. 4. with 1 Cor. ix. 9, 10. m Isai. viii. 20.
n Luke xvi. 29. ° John v. 39. P Eph. v. 26.
K K 2
500 EPHESIANS, VI. 17. [2133.
they convey no spiritual light : they impart no spiri
tual energy : they carry with them neither conviction,
nor consolation : whether read or preached, they are
equally without effect. Paul was conversant with
the Scriptures before his conversion ; but could not
see in them that Jesus was the Christ ; nor could he
learn from them the temper and disposition of a child
of God. The ministry of Christ was attended with
but small success: nor did the number of those who
were converted by the Apostles, bear any proportion
to that of those who rejected their message : and, in
the instances wherein they did succeed, the success
was " not owing to Paul who planted, or to Apollos
who watered, but to God who gave the increase q."
The word then only came with any beneficial influ
ence, when it came, not in word only, " but in the
Holy Ghost r," and " in demonstration of the Spirit's
power8:" and Lydia would have remained as uncon
cerned as others, if " the Lord had not opened her
heart to attend to the things that were spoken1."
But there is yet another reason why the Scriptures
are called the sword of the Spirit ; namely, that by
them he has wrought the most stupendous miracles in
the conversion of men. They are indeed, " the rod
of his strength11;" and have effected far greater
miracles than ever the rod of Moses did. By them
he has changed the hearts of men instantaneously,
thoroughly, abidingly. By them, in the space of one
hour, he transformed three thousand murderers into
the very image of their Godx. In his hands, "the
word was quick and powerful, and sharper than any
two-edged sword : it pierced even to the dividing of
the joints and marrow : it laid open the inmost
thoughts of meny:" and " through God it is still
mighty to destroy the strong-holds" of sin and
Satan2: and when " it shall have free course and be
glorified in the world a," when he shall " gird it on
his thigh, and ride on prosperously" in his career, it
1 1 Cor. iii. 0. r 1 Thess. i. 5. s 1 Cor. ii. 4.
* Acts xvi. 14. " Ps. ex. 2. x Acts ii. 41.
y Ileb. iv. \'l. * 2 Cor. x, 4, 5. il 2 Thess. iii. 1.
2133.] THE CHRISTIAN'S SWORD. 501
shall be " very sharp in the heart of the king's ene
mies V and all nations shall be subdued unto the
obedience of faith c.
This is the weapon with which the Christian is
armed ; and with which he shall conquer. To the
eye of sense, indeed, he goes forth only like David,
with his sling and a stone against Goliath d: but, like
him, "he shall be strong, and do exploits6." With
this he is " thoroughly furnished unto all good
works f;" " nor shall any of his enemies be able to
stand before himg."
To illustrate the virtues of this sword, we shall
proceed to shew,
II. Its usefulness to him in all his combats —
It is needless to make any remarks on the utility
of a sword in general, since every one must of neces
sity be well acquainted with it. But the particular
manner in which the Scriptures answer the end of a
sword to the Christian, is not so obvious. We may
well therefore examine this point with care and ac
curacy, in order that we ourselves may be enabled to
" handle the weapon "provided for us, and use it with
dexterity and success.
The Christian's enemies are the world, the flesh,
and the devil. And the Scripture enables him to
defeat them : first, by its clear directions. Does the
flesh plead for any unhallowed indulgence ? the
Scripture says, " Abhor that which is evil ; cleave to
that which is good11." Does the world solicit his
embrace ? the Scripture says again, " Love not the
world, neither the things that are in the world1."
Does Satan exert his wiles in order to deceive ? the
Scripture says, " Him resist k." And it is worthy of
remark, that it was by means of the directions of
Scripture that our Saviour himself vanquished his
wicked adversary. Did Satan recommend him to
turn stones into bread for his support ? he answered,
b Ps. xlv. 3 — 5. c Ps. Ixxii. 9 — 11. d 1 Sam. xvii. 40.
e Dan. xi. 32. f 2 Tim. iii. 17. s Josh. x. 8.
i> Rom. xii. 9. * 1 John ii. 15. k i pet. v. 9.
502 EPHESIANS, VI. 17. [2133.
" It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that, proceedeth out of the mouth
of God1." Did Satan then urge him to cast himself
down from a pinnacle of the temple with an assurance
of miraculous preservation ? he replied again, fe It is
written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy Godm."
Did Satan once more assault him with solicitations
to fall down and worship him ? he smote the fiend
yet a third time with the same irresistible weapon :
" It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy
God, and him only shalt thou serve"." Thus Jesus
conquered : and thus his people in all ages have
subdued their enemies. David tells us whence his
success arose : " I have hid thy word within me,
that I might not sin against thee0:" and, " By the
word of thy lips, I have kept me from the paths of
the destroyer5." To us also he recommends an
adoption of the same plan ; " Wherewith shall a
young man cleanse his way ? even by taking heed
thereto according to thy wordq."
The Scripture aids us, in the next place, by its
powerful motives. As for all the motives that reason
can suggest, the experience of all ages has proved
them weak and inefficient. But the Scripture sets
before us the happiness of heaven and the misery of
hell : and thus with irresistible efficacy addresses
itself to our hopes and fears. " He that overcometh
shall inherit all things'," saith the Lord; "but if
any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure
in him : he draws back unto perdition8." When
an enemy would allure us by the prospect of plea
sure, or alarm us by the apprehension of suffering,
with what indignation shall we spurn him from
us, if we advert for one moment to the concerns of
eternity ! Shall I forego the blessedness of heaven
for a momentary gratification ? Shall I consign
myself over to all the torments of hell rather than
endure some momentary evil ? What if the acqui-
1 Matt. iv. 4. m Matt. iv. 7. " Matt. iv. 10.
0 Ps. cxix. 11. P Ps. xvii. 4. 1 Ps. cxix. 9.
r Rev. xxi. 7. s Heb. x. 38, 39.
2133.] THE CHRISTIAN'S SWORD. 503
sition be ever so precious ; or the loss be ever so
severe ? had I not better pluck out a right eye, or
cut off a right hand, than be cast into hell-fire for
retaining them1? "Depart then from me, all ye
wicked ; I will keep the commandments of my
GodV
There is yet another motive that operates more
strongly on an ingenuous soul than either the hope
of heaven, or the fear of hell : I mean, a concern for
the Divine glory. ' Has God committed to me such
a sacred trust ? Is the honour of God himself de
pendent upon my conduct ? Will my fall occasion
" his name to be blasphemed ;" and my stability be
the means of exalting his glory ? How then shall
I give way to the tempter ? how shall I so violate
my obligations to God, and bring dishonour upon
him, whom I ought to love and serve with my whole
heart ?' Many of God's saints have found this a
counterpoise to the strongest temptations x : and it is
obvious that these considerations united together,
are well calculated to defeat our enemies, and to
secure us a decisive victory over all.
The Scripture gives us a further advantage over
our enemies by means of its rich encouragements.
Not to mention the eternal rewards that have been
just adverted to, the Scripture promises that God will
be with us in every conflict, and beat down our
adversaries before our face. " Fear not," says he,
"for I am with thee ; be not dismayed, for I am thy
God : I will strengthen thee ; yea, I will help thee ;
yea, I will uphold thee by the right hand of my
righteousness y." " Fear not, thou worm Jacob, for
thou shalt thresh the mountains2." Now what can
withstand a man that is armed with such promises as
these ? What can oppose any effectual obstacle in
his way ? Are his enemies numerous ? He says,
" They are more that are with me, than they that
1 Mark ix. 44—49. " Ps. cxix. 115.
x Gen. xxxix. 9. and xlii. 18. and Ncli. v. 15.
y Isai. xli. 10. '• Isai. xli. 14, 15.
EPHESIANS, VI. 17. [2133.
are against mea." Does he feel himself weak? he
says, " God will perfect his own strength in my
weakness15." Under these circumstances he is like
to Gideon, when going against the confederate hosts
of Midian and Amalek. God had promised him the
victory even without the intervention of a human
arm : this promise he had confirmed by repeated
signs, and even by an attestation from the enemy
themselves. In dependence on God, he surrounded
their camp with his little band of three hundred
men ; and, with no other weapons than a pitcher, a
lamp, and a trumpet, gained the most signal victory0.
So the Christian, " encouraging himself in his God,"
and depending on his promised aid, goes forth with
power and effect. The very end for which such
" great and precious promises were given him was,
that by them he might be a partaker of the divine
nature"1;" and he does improve them to this end ;
and finds that by means of them he is enabled to
" cleanse himself from all filthiness both of flesh and
spirit, and to perfect holiness in the fear of Gode."
The last advantage which we shall mention as
derived from the Scripture, is that which it affords
us by means of its instructive examples. How can
any one relax his determination to destroy sin,
when he contemplates the destruction which sin
has brought on those who yielded to its baneful
influence ? When he reflects on the doom of the
apostate angels, or on the deluge that overwhelmed
the world, or on the fire and brimstone that con
sumed the cities of the plain, can he trifle with
that which has so greatly provoked the Majesty of
heaven f? If it be to despondency that he is urged
by Satan, will he not repel the tempter instantly, as
soon as he recollects the character of thousands who
have found acceptance with God ? Can he despair,
that considers for one moment the case of David, of
Manassehg, of the dying thief? Can he despair, who
a 2 Kings vi. 16. b 2 Cor. xii. 9. c Judg. vii. 19.
d 2 Pet. i. 4. e 2 Cor. vii. 1. f 2 Pet. ii. 4—6,9.
« 2 Kings xxi. 1—9.
2133.] THE CHRISTIAN'S SWORD. 505
sees the persecuting Saul arrested in his career ; or
who reads the catalogue of crimes of which the
Corinthian converts had been guilty11? It maybe
that he is induced to think there is something
peculiar in his case, which justifies in an extra
ordinary degree his desponding fears. But when he
hears, that ee no temptation can take him but that
which is common to man1," and then surveys that
cloud of witnesses who were once conflicting like
himself, but are now in heaven attesting the power
and faithfulness of a redeeming Godk, he cannot but
say, "Get thee behind me, Satan1:" "thou wast a
liar, and a murderer, from the beginning™ :" and
shall I credit thy lies to the disparagement of my
God?
In this way it was that the saints of old triumphed :
"Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord ;
awake as in the ancient days, in the generations of
old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and
wounded the dragon ? Art thou not it which hath
dried the sea, the waters of the great deep, that
hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ran
somed to pass over ? (Now mark the inference) —
Therefore the redeemed of the Lord (and we amongst
them) shall return, and come with singing unto Zion,
and everlasting joy shall be upon their head : they
shall obtain gladness and joy ; and sorrow and
mourning shall flee away11." A completer triumph
than this cannot possibly be conceived. Yet thus
will the Scripture enable us to triumph, if we duly
mark the examples which it sets before us.
In concluding this subject, we would impress upon
your mind two important REFLECTIONS.
First, How thankful should we be for the Holy
Scriptures ! One of the greatest advantages that the
Jews possessed above the Gentile world, was, that
to them had been committed the oracles of God0.
h 1 Cor. vi. 9—11. J 1 Cor. x. 13. k Heb. xii. ].
1 Matt. iv. 10. m John viii. 44. » Isai. li. 9 — 11.
" Kc in. iii. 2.
506 EPHESIANS, VI. 17. [2133.
This advantage we enjoy in a still higher degree ;
inasmuch as we have the light of the New Testament
in addition to that of the Old. To judge properly
respecting this, we should put ourselves in the situa
tion of unenlightened heathens. They are all " led
captive by the devil at his will :" and no wonder,
since they see no means of escape from his assaults,
or of resistance to his power. But we, if it be not
utterly our own fault, are asserting our liberty, and
victoriously contending with him. Even those who
are far from having attained their full growth, if only
they are skilled in exercising this potent weapon,
" have overcome the wicked onep." Let then the
Scriptures be precious to us, " sweeter than honey,
and the honey-comb q," and " dearer than our neces
sary food1." Let " our meditation be in them day
and night8 :" let them be " a lamp to our feet and a
light to our paths*." Let them on all occasions be
" our delight arid our counsellors"." Then may we
be assured that they shall be " the power of God to
our salvation x :" for God's promise to Joshua is, in
fact, addressed to every one of us ; " This book of
the law shall not depart out of thy mouth ; but
thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou
mayest observe to do all that is written therein ; for
then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then
thou shalt have good success7."
Next it may be observed, How earnestly should we
seek the influences of the Holy Ghost ! Many, instead
of handling the sword for the subjugating of their
enemies, are really using it in their defence : they
draw from the Scriptures only what shall appear to
countenance their lusts and errors ; and thus " wrest
them," as the Apostle says, " to their own destruc
tion2." And if " the Spirit of wisdom and revelation
be not given to usa," to guide us into all truth b, we
shall derive no greater benefit from the sacred volume
P 1 John ii. 14. Q Ps. xix. 10. r Job. xxiii. 12.
8 Ps. i. 2. t ps. Cxix. 1()5. « Ps. cxix. 24.
x Rom. i. 17. >' Josh. i. 8. z 2 Pet. iii. 16.
a Eph. i. 17, 18. *> John xvi. 13.
2134.] THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER. 507
than they. We may perhaps adopt ihe sentiments
contained in it ; but we shall never experience its
power to transform the soul, till " the Spirit of God
write it on the fleshly tables of our hearts0." It is
" the Lord alone that giveth wisdom ; and therefore,
while we search the Scriptures as for hid treasures,
we must also lift up our voice to him in prayer for
knowledge and understanding01." Let us look then
to the Saviour, " out of whose mouth goeth a two-
edged sword6," even to him who is " the Captain of
the Lord's hostf;" and beg, that he would both use
that sword to slay the enmity of our hearts g, and
enable us also to wield the same for the destruction
of our enemies. Let us pray that " the arms of
our hands may be made strong by the hands of the
mighty God of Jacob V And let us go forth, like
David, " not with carnal weapons, as a sword, and a
spear, and a shield, but in the name of the Lord God
of hosts1." Then shall we "smite our enemies till
the sword even cleave to our handsk ;" and we shall
experience, in its fullest extent, the import of that
significant question, " Do not my words do good to
him that walketh uprightly1?"
c
2 Cor. iii. 3.
d Prov. ii. 1 — 6.
e Rev.
i. 10.
f
Josh. v.
13,
14.
8 Eph. ii
. 16.
h Gen.
xlix. 24.
i
1 Sam.
xvii.
45.
k 2 Sam.
xxiii. 10.
i Mic.
ii. 7.
MMCXXXIV.
THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER.
Eph. vi. 18. Praying always with all prayer and supplication
in the Spirit, and watching thereunto ivith all perseverance,
and supplication for all saints.
IT is graciously ordained of God that none of his
creatures should be independent of him : however
richly they may be furnished with either gifts or
graces, they are under the necessity of receiving
continual supplies from him, and of acknowledging
him, from day to day, as the one source of all their
benefits. Hence, in addition to the armour with
508 EPHESIANS, VI. 18. [2134.
which the Christian is arrayed from head to foot, it
is necessary that he wait upon God in prayer, agree
ably to the direction given him in the text.
To enter into the full meaning of the Apostle's
words, as connected with the foregoing context, it
will be proper to shew,
I. The aspect which prayer in general bears on the
Christian warfare—
II. The particular kind of prayer that will ensure to
us the victory —
I. In considering the aspect which prayer in
general bears on the Christian warfare, it should be
noticed, that prayer is the medium of communica
tion between God and man : it is that whereby man
ascends to God, and makes known to him his wants,
and <?ains from him whatever he stands in need of.
O
It is bij prayer that we must obtain the armour
provided for us. No one part of the divine panoply
can be formed by an arm of flesh : from the first
infusion of faith and hope into the soul, to the per
fect transformation of the soul into the Divine image
in righteousness and true holiness, all is of God. He
is the only " giver of every good and perfect gifta :"
and all his children in all ages have acknowledged
their obligations to him in this view. The evange
lical prophet confesses, " Thou hast wrought all
our works in usb;" and to the same effect the great
Apostle of the Gentiles speaks ; " He that hath
wrought us to the self-same thing is Godc." But
how must this armour be obtained from God ? Hear
his own direction : " Ask, and ye shall have ; seek,
and ye shall find ; knock, and it shall be opened
unto youd." Desirous as he is to impart to us all
spiritual blessings, " he yet will be inquired of by
use," that he may bestow them on us as the reward
of importunity f. Not that he needs to be informed
of our wants, for " he knoweth what things we have
a Jam. i. 17. b Isai. xxvi. 12. c 2 Cor. v. 5.
d Matt. vii. 7. e Ezek. xxxvi. 37. f Heb. xi. 6.
2134.] THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER. 509
need of before we askg ;" nor needs he to be prevailed
upon by the urgency of our requests ; for he is far
more ready to give than we are to ask, and he stirs
us up to ask, because he had before determined to
give11 : but there is a propriety in this divine appoint
ment : it necessitates us not only to feel our wants,
but to confess our inability to relieve ourselves : it
compels us to acknowledge God as the one source of
blessedness to man, and to adore him for every thing
we receive at his hands. It cuts off from us all
possible occasion of glorying ; and obliges us, when
most completely armed, to say, " By the grace of
God I am what I am1."
Again ; It is by prayer that we must learn how to
use this armour aright. Men are disciplined to the
use of arms : it is not deemed sufficient to clothe
them with armour; they must also be taught how
to guard themselves against the assaults of their
adversary, and at the same time to inflict on him a
deadly wound. Such instruction must the Christian
receive from God. If he " lean to his own under
standing," he will as surely be foiled, as if he trust
in his own strength, or go unarmed to the field of
battle. Many are the devices of the wicked one, of
which the uninstructed Christian cannot be aware.
He alone, " to whom all things are naked and open,"
knows his plots, or can put us sufficiently on our
guard against them. He alone can tell us when,
and where, and how to strike k. With him alone is
that " wisdom that is profitable to direct1." But if
we call upon him, " he will guide us by his counsel111:"
he will " give us a spirit of wisdom and understand
ing, a spirit of counsel and of might, a spirit of
knowledge and of the fear of the Lord, and will make
us quick of understanding in the fear of the Lord"."
He will inform us of the designs of our enemy0, and
shew us how to counteract themp. And though in
ourselves we be " unskilful in the word of right-
g Matt. vi. 8. h John iv. 10. J 1 Cor. xv. 10.
k 2 Sam. v. 23 — 25. * EccL x. 10. m Ps. Ixxiii. 24.
n Isai. xi. 2, 3. ° Luke xxii. 31. P Josh. viii. 6 — 8.
510 EPHESIANS, VI. 18. [2134.
eousnessq," yet will I16 "give us the tongue of the
learned V' and the arm of the mighty8 : he will fight
in us, as well as for usl;'J and will give us reason
to adopt "the grateful acknowledgments of that re
nowned warrior, " Blessed be the Lord, my strength,
who teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to
fight V Still, however, must this be sought of him
in prayer. His promise is suspended on this con
dition, that we pray to him for the performance of
it : on our fulfilling this duty, he will interpose ;
" he will be very gracious unto us at the voice of
our cry ; when he shall hear it, he will answer us :"
and then it is that " our ears shall hear a voice
behind us, saying, This is the way, walk ye in itx."
We must first " acknowledge him, and then he will
direct our paths7."
Once more — It is by prayer that we must bring
down the Divine blessing on our endeavours. Many
noble purposes are formed in the minds of unre-
generate men, which yet are " as the grass that
groweth on the house-tops, wherewith the mower
filleth not his arms, neither he that bindeth up the
sheaves, his bosom." Nor is it any wonder that
those efforts should be blasted, which are undertaken
without a reference to God, and which, if they suc
ceeded, would confirm men in a conceit of their own
sufficiency. God is a jealous God : and " his glory
will he not give to another." Hence he is interested,
as it were, in disconcerting the plans of those who
disregard him, and in prospering the concerns of
those who humbly implore his aid. Agreeably to
this, we find in the sacred records that the most
powerful armaments, and best concerted projects,
have been defeated, when God was not acknow
ledged2; and that the weaker have triumphed glori
ously, when they sought the Divine favour and
protection a. In one instance more particularly we
Q Heb. v. 13. r Isai. 1. 4. s 2 Sam. xxii. 33 — 35.
t Isai. xlix. 25. u Ps. cxliv. 1. x Isai. xxx. 19, 21.
y Prov. iii. 5, 6. z Isai. xxxvii. 36. 2 Sam. xvii. 11 — 13.
a 2 Chron. xx. 12, 25.
2134.] THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER. 511
see the prayer of faith blended with human exer
tions : and it was made manifest, for the instruction
of that and all future generations, that, whatever
means God himself might use, prayer was the most
powerful of all weapons. When the hands of Moses
hanged down through weariness, Amalek prevailed
over Israel ; but when he held up his hands, Israel
prevailed over Amalekb; so that, in fact, it was the
prayer of Moses, rather than the sword of Joshua,
that gained the victory. It is in this way also that
we must vanquish our spiritual enemies. We must
fight against them indeed, and seek their utter de
struction ; but our reliance must be altogether upon
God, whose blessing we must obtain in a way of
prayer. In vain shall we attempt to combat Satan
in any other way. He laughs at an arm of flesh ;
and yields to Omnipotence alone. To him may be
justly applied that lofty description of Leviathan ;
" Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons, or his
head with fish-spears ? Behold, the hope of him is
vain : shall not one be cast down even at the sight
of him ? His scales are his pride, shut up together
as with a close seal. His heart is as firm as a stone,
yea, as hard as a piece of the nether mill-stone. The
sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold, the
spear, the dart, nor the harbergeon. He esteemeth
iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood. Darts are
counted by him as stubble ; he laugheth at the
shaking of the spear. He is king over all the chil
dren of pride c." But prayer he cannot withstand ;
the man who fights upon his knees is sure to vanquish
him : and the weakest Christian in the universe, if
he has but a heart to pray, may say with David, " I
will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised,
and so shall I be saved from mine enemies d."
To prevent mistakes, however, it will be proper to
shew,
II. What kind of prayer that is that will secure to us
the victory—
b Exod. xvii. 11. c Job xli. 7, 9, 15, 24, 26, 27, 29, 34.
(1 2 Sam. xxii. 4.
512 EPHESIANS, VI. 18. [2134.
Much that is called prayer is utterly unworthy of
that sacred name. That which alone will prevail to
the extent of our necessities, must be comprehensive,
spiritual) persevering.
It must, in the first place, be comprehensive. In
the text, mention is made of supplication, and of
intercession : both of which are necessary in their
season. Of SUPPLICATIONS, there are some stated,
such as those which we offer regularly in the Church,
the family, and the closet; others are occasional ; and
are presented to God at those intervals, when any
particular occurrence, whether prosperous or adverse,
renders it necessary to obtain some special interposi
tion of the Deity. INTERCESSIONS are those prayers
which we offer for others ; and which are intented to
bring down blessings either on the world at large
(for God commands " intercession to be made for all
men, and more especially for kings, and all that are
in authority6") or on the saints in particular) with
whom we have a common interest; and amongst
whom, as amongst soldiers in the same army, there
should exist a solicitude to promote to the uttermost
each other's safety and welfare.
Now it is by a regular application to God, in all
these ways, that we are to procure from heaven those
seasonable supplies which we stand in need of.
Respecting the customary devotions of the closet,
both in the morning and the evening, corresponding
to the sacrifices that were daily offered to God under
the Mosaic lawf, there can be no doubt. A man
who neglects them has no pretension to the Christian
name. Instead of being in a state of friendship with
God, he must rather be numbered amongst his ene
mies ; for the very description given of his enemies
is, that they call not upon Godg; whereas the cha
racter of his friends is, that " they are a people near
unto himh." Nor is it less necessary that we should
worship God in our families : for, as we have family
wants, and family mercies, it is proper that we should
e 1 Tim. ii. 1, 2. f Exod. xxix. 38, 39, 42.
B Ps. xiv. 4. h Ps. cxlviii. 14.
2134.] THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER. 513
"offer the sacrifices of prayer and praise" in con
cert with our families. Abraham is commended
for his attention to the religious concerns of his
family1: and Joshua's noble resolution to maintain,
both in his own soul and in his family, the worship
of the true Goclk, clearly shews, how important this
part of a Christian's duty was considered among the
saints of old. Nor can any expect the blessing of
God upon their families, who will not unite with
them in acknowledging the mercies they have already
received. As for the public worship of God, none who
have any regard for God's honour in the world can
possibly neglect it.
The importance of occasional prayer may perhaps
be not so clearly seen. But are there not frequent
occasions when we need in a more especial manner
the assistance of God ? If any thing have occurred
that is gratifying to flesh and blood, do we not
need to call upon God for grace, that we may not,
Jeshurun like, " wax fat, and kick" against our
heavenly Benefactor? If, on the contrary, we are
suddenly involved in any afflictive circumstances, do
we not need to implore help from God, in order that
we may bear with patience his paternal chastise
ments, and that the trial may be sanctified to our
eternal good ? Sometimes indeed the seasons occur
so instantaneously, that we have no time or oppor
tunity for a long address to God : but then we
might lift up our hearts in an ejaculatory petition ;
and in one short moment obtain from God the suc
cour we require. Look at the saints of old, and see
how they prospered by a sudden elevation of their
souls to God : David, by one short prayer, " Lord,
turn the counsels of Ahithophel into foolishness,"
defeated the crafty advice he gave to Absalom : and
caused him, through chagrin, to put a period to his
own existence1. Jehoshaphat, by a single cry, turned
back his pursuers, who, if God had not instantly
' Gen. xviii. 19. k Josh, xxiv. 15.
1 2 Sam. xv. 31. with xvii. 14, 2-'J.
VOL. XVII. L L
514 EPHESIANS, VI. 18. [2134.
interposed on his behalf, would have overtaken and
destroyed himm. Nehemiah, by a silent lifting up of
his soul to God, obtained success to the petition
which he was about to offer to his royal master".
Thus we should blunt the edge of many temptations,
and defeat innumerable machinations of Satan, if we
habituated ourselves on all occasions to make known
our requests to God. Nor would prayer be less
successful, if offered for others. Who can behold
Moses repeatedly arresting the hand of justice, and
averting the wrath of God from the whole Jewish
nation0; or contemplate Peter's deliverance from
prison on the night preceding his intended execution,
effected as it was in a way that appeared incredible
even to the very people who had been praying for
itp, and not confess the efficacy of intercession,
whether of people for their minister, or of ministers
for their people ? Indeed we need no other instance
than that of Abraham's intercession for Sodom and
Gomorrhaq, to convince us, that it is our most glo
rious privilege to " pray one for another1;" and that
in neglecting this duty, we "sin against Gods," and
against our brethren, and against our own souls.
Such then must be our prayers, if we would be
" good soldiers of Jesus Christ," or exert ourselves
with effect against our great adversary.
In the next place, our prayer must be spiritual.
Were our devotions multiplied in ever so great a
degree, they would be of no avail, unless they came
from the heart, and were offered up " through the
power of the Holy Ghost." God has warned us, that
"they who draw nigh to him with their lips while
their hearts are far from him, worship him in vain*."
Indeed how can we imagine that God should regard
a mere repetition of words, when we ourselves should
reject with indignation a petition offered to ourselves
in a similar manner11? Our "supplications must be
m 2 Chron. xviii. 31. n Neh. ii. 4 — 6.
0 Exod. xxxii. 10—11. P Acts xii. 5—16.
q Gen. xviii. 23 — 32. r Jam. v. 16.
s 1 Sam. xii. 23. l Matt. xv. 8, 9 « Mai. i. 8.
2134.] TIIE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER. 515
in the Spirit/' or, as St. Jude expresses it, "in the
Holy Ghost x." The Holy Ghost must teach us what
to pray for, and must assist our infirmities in praying
for ity, quickening our desires after God, emboldening
us to draw nigh to him with filial confidence, and en
abling us to expect at his hands an answer of peace.
As there is but one Mediator through whom we can
have access to God, so there is only one Spirit by
whom we can approach him2. But we need not on
this account be discouraged : for the Spirit is pro
mised to us for these endsa; and in whomsoever he
is " a Spirit of grace, he will be also a Spirit of sup
plication V
Lastly, our prayer must also be persevering : we
must pray " always, watching thereunto with all
perseverance." It is by no means sufficient that we
pray to God, as too many do, just under the pressure
of some heavy affliction0, or be fervent for a time,
and then relapse again into our former coldness
and formality'1. We must be "instant in prayer6,"
" stirring up our souls to lay hold on Godf," and
" wrestling with him," like Jacob, till we obtain his
blessing8. There is a holy importunity which we
are to use, like that of the Canaanitish woman11, or
that of the two blind men, who became more urgent
in proportion as others strove to repress their ardour1.
And because Satan will do all in his power to divert
us from this course, we must watch against his
devices with all possible care, and persevere in it
without fainting k, even to the end. If we notice our
frames at the returning seasons of prayer, we shall
perceive that there is often a most unaccountable
backwardness to this duty. Any concern, however
trifling, will appear a sufficient reason for delaying it,
till, from weariness of body or indisposition of mind,
we are induced to omit it altogether, or perhaps
* Jude, ver. 20. >' Rom. viii. 26. z Eph. ii. 18.
a Joel ii. 29, 32. b Zech. xii. 10. c Isai. xxvi. 10.
cl Job xxvii. 10. e Rom. xii. 12. f Isai. Ixiv. 7.
fe' Gen. xxxii. 24 — 28. with Hos. xii. 4.
h Matt. xv. 22—27. ' Matt. xx. 30, 31. k Lr.
516 EPHESIANS, VI. 18. [2134.
we fall asleep in the midst of it. We sometimes
think in the evening, that we shall be fitter for it in
the morning ; and then in the morning we expect a
more convenient season at noon-day ; and at noon
day we look forward with a hope of performing our
duty to more advantage in the evening ; and thus we
deceive ourselves with delays, and rob our souls of
the benefits which God would bestow upon them.
But who ever found himself the more ready for
prayer on account of his having neglected it the pre
ceding day ? Do not such neglects " grieve the
Holy Spirit," and increase, rather than diminish, our
indisposition for prayer? Most assuredly they do :
and therefore we should "watch" against all excuses,
all neglects, all formality; and "persevere" in a
steady, uniform, and conscientious performance of
this duty. It is not necessary indeed that we should
at all times occupy the same space of time in our
devotions ; for " we shall not be heard for our much
speaking1;" but we should endeavour at all times to
maintain a spirituality of mind in this duty, and im
prove in a more particular manner those seasons,
when God stretches out to us, as it were, his golden
sceptre"1, and admits us to a more than ordinary
"fellowship with himself and with his Son Jesus
Christ11."
We shall conclude this interesting subject with an
ADDRESS,
1. To those who neglect prayer —
What easier terms could God have prescribed,
than those on which he has suspended the com
munication of his blessings ? or what could you
yourselves have dictated to him more favourable
than that condition, " Ask, and you shall have ?"
Do but consider, what will be your reflections as
soon as ever you enter into the invisible world !
When you see the door of mercy for ever shut, and
begin to feel the judgments which you would not
1 Matt. vi. 7. m Esth. iv. 11. with v. 2, 3.
11 1 John. i. 3.
2134.J THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER. 517
deprecate, how will you lament, and even curse, your
folly in neglecting prayer ! When you call to mind,
that heaven with all its glory was open to you, and
you had nothing to do but to ask for it at the hands
of God, you would not give yourselves the trouble
to call upon him ! what can you expect, but that
the threatening, already recorded for your instruc
tion, shall be executed upon you ; " Because I called,
and ye refused, I stretched out my hand, and ye
regarded me not ; but ye set at nought all rny counsel,
and would none of my reproof; I also will laugh at
your calamity, and mock when your fear cometh :
when your fear cometh as a desolation, and your
destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and
anguish cometh upon you. Then shall ye call upon
me, but I will not answer; ye shall seek me early,
but ye shall not find me ; for that ye hated know
ledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord :
therefore shall ye eat of the fruit of your own way,
and be filled with your own devices0." O let not this
awful period arrive ! " Arise, ye sleepers, and call
upon your Godp." Is not heaven worth asking for ?
Is it not worth your while to escape the miseries of
hell ? What if diligence and self-denial be necessary ;
will not the prize repay the labours of the contest ?
Perhaps you are saying in your hearts, that you will
begin to pray at some future, and more convenient,
season q : but dream not of a more convenient season,
lest that season never arrive. Procrastination is the
ruin of thousands, and of millions. It is Satan's
grand device for keeping you from God. Should he
tempt you to say, " I will never pray at all," he
knows you would revolt at the idea ; and therefore
he prompts you only to defer it in hopes of finding
your mind better disposed to the employment on
some future day. But let him not deceive you.
Delay not a single hour. Yea, at this very moment
lift up that ejaculatory petition, " Lord, teach us to
prayr :" and embrace the first moment to begin that
0 Prov. i. 21—31. P Jonah i. 6.
<i Acts xxiv. 25. r Luke xi. 1.
518 EPHESIANS, VI. 18. [2134.
work, which if prosecuted with fervour and perse
verance, shall issue in present peace, and everlasting
triumphs.
2. To those who are daily waiting upon their God,
we would also address a few words—
That you find much cause for humiliation in your
secret walk with God, is highly probable : for though
nothing would be easier than prayer, if you were
altogether spiritual, the remaining carnality of your
hearts renders it inexpressibly difficult. Nor can we
doubt but that Satan labours to the uttermost to
increase your discouragements, both by distracting
your minds in prayer, and by insinuating, that your
labour will be in vain. And too often are you in
clined perhaps to credit his suggestions, and to say,
like the unbelieving Jews, " What profit should we
have, if we pray unto him8?" he will not hear: " he
has shut up his loving-kindness in displeasure." But
rest assured that he will not suffer you to seek his
face in vain. His answers may be delayed ; but
they shall come in the best time. You have only to
wait ; and the vision, though it may tarry for a
season, will not ultimately disappoint you1. Sooner
or later, " God will assuredly avenge his own elect u."
There is no situation so desperate but prayer will
relieve us from itx : no object is so far beyond the
reach of human influence, but prayer will attain
ity. The efficacy of prayer is as unlimited as Omni
potence itself, because it will bring Omnipotence to
our aid2.
But some are ready to say, " I have prayed, and
earnestly too ; and yet have obtained no answer to
my prayer." It may be so ; because you have " asked
amiss a ;" or because the time for answering it is not
yet arrived. But it often happens, that persons
think their prayers are cast out, when they have
indeed received an answer to them, yea, the best
8 Job xxi. 15. * Hab. ii. 3. u Luke xviii. 7.
x Jonah ii. 2 — 7. ? Jam. v. 17, 18. z John xiv. 13, M.
a Jam. iv. 3.
2134.] THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER. 519
answer that could have been given to them. Per
haps, like Paul,, they have prayed against a thorn in
their flesh ; and, instead of having it removed, have
received strength to bear it, and grace to improve it
to their spiritual goodb. But is this no answer to
their prayer ? Is it not the best that could possibly
be vouchsafed ? A trial may be removed in wrath c ;
but it cannot be sanctified from any other principle
than loved. The removal of it may produce present
ease ; but its sanctified operations will ensure and
enhance our everlasting felicity6.
Let us then " tarry the Lord's leisure, and be
strong," knowing that the prayer of faith can never
go forth in vain ; nor can a praying soul ever perish.
Let us " in every thing by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving make our requests known unto
God ; and the peace of God, which passeth all under
standing, shall keep our hearts and minds through
Christ JesusV
b 2 Cor. xii. 8, 9. c Isai. i. 5. d Heb. xii. 10.
e 2 Cor. iv. 17. f Phil. iv. G, 7.
END OF VOL. XVII.
LONDON : — H. CLAY, PKJNTEK, BREAD-STREET-HILL.
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